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- 5 Blue Class Party
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- Birthdays - June
- Daramalan College Basketball Camp
- Canberra Gang Show - Erindale Theatre
Dear Families,
I would like to extend a special thank you to all those who attended our Awards Assembly on Friday. It was a momentous occasion where we recognized and celebrated the exceptional achievements of our students. The dedication and hard work demonstrated by our students have been truly commendable, and it is heart-warming to see the support and encouragement they receive from their teachers and parents. Your presence at the assembly made a significant impact on our students, reinforcing the importance of their accomplishments.
I am constantly amazed by the dedication and commitment of our teachers, who go above and beyond to provide a nurturing and enriching learning environment for our students. Their passion for education is evident in the achievements and growth of our students. I am grateful for their unwavering support and their continued efforts to inspire and empower our students.
3 Way conferences will be held in Week 9 and parents are encouraged to book in a time that they can meet with their child’s teacher with their child to discuss Semester 1 outcomes. Please visit the Compass Parent Portal to gain access to the times that are available. I would like to thank teachers for opening up times outside the core school hours to enable these meetings.
Reports will be distributed to families via Compass on Monday of Week 10, 1 July 2024. Please ensure that you have access to Compass and if you are experiencing difficulties please email the front office on office.staquinas@cg,catholic.edu.au for assistance. It is essential for all families to have access to the app as it is our main source of communication.
Further, I would like to acknowledge the parents of our students. Your partnership and involvement in your child's education are invaluable. Your unwavering support, encouragement, and active participation contribute significantly to the success and well-being of our school community. We are truly grateful for your commitment and collaboration.
As we continue our journey together, let us remember the importance of unity, collaboration, and a shared vision for the education and growth of our students. Together, we can create a nurturing and inspiring environment where our students can thrive and reach their full potential.
As mentioned previously, I would like to stress the importance of arriving at school on time. We have had an increase of students regularly arriving to school late. This not only disrupts the class as a whole but also your child missing key learning notices by not attending our morning assemblies and/or the start of their class lessons. Please be aware that our morning assembly commences at 8:50am with class rolls being marked by 9:00am. The drive-thru gates will be closed by 8:55am and those students arriving after this time will be required to be signed in by an adult at the front office. Please note that students cannot sign themselves in on arrival.
Students from Year 6 will be celebrating their Confirmation this Thursday evening with Father Richard Thompson, Vicar General. This is an important milestone for those students participating in the Sacrament of Confirmation and I ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they continue their Confirmation journey.
Thank you once again for your presence and support. I look forward to the exciting times ahead as we continue to work together to provide the best possible education for our students.
Yours in Faith,
Tim Cleary
| WEEK | DATE | EVENT |
| 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 |
| 7 | Fri 14/06 | 5 Blue class party |
| 7 | Fri 14/06 | 5 Green class party |
| 8 | Mon 17/06 | 3 Blue - 3 Way Conferences |
| 8 | Tues 18/06 | 3 Blue - 3 Way Conferences |
| 8 | Tues 18/06 | SCC Meeting at 6pm in the Library |
| 8 | Wed 19/06 | 3 Blu - 3 Way Conferences |
| 8 | Wed 19/06 | ACT Touch Football Gala Day - Years 5 & 6 |
| 8 | Thurs 20/06 | Netball Gala Day - Years 5 & 6 |
| 8 | Fri 21/06 | Assembly hosted by Kindergarten |
| 9 | Mon 24/06 | Rostrum Quarter Finals at 6pm in the Library |
| 9 | Tues 25/06 | 3 Way Conferences |
| 9 | Wed 26/06 | 3 Way Conferences |
| 9-10 | 26/06 - 04/07 | Lamont Book Fair |
| 9 | Thurs 27/06 | Netball Gala Day - Years 3 & 4 |
| 10 | Fri 05/07 | Principal Awards Assembly & White token celebration |
| 10 | Fri 05/07 | Last day of Term 2 |
| Term 3 | Mon 22/07 | Pupil Free Day - Staff Professional Development Training |
| 1 | Tues 23/07 | Term 3 commences for all students |
| Parish Priest | Father Gerard McCormick |
| Parish Secretary | Sharon Greaves |
| Telephone | 02 6258 1563 |
| 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. |
Save the Date - Sunday 30 June
The parish will be hosting an information session with Marymead/CatholicCare about their proposal to lease some of the parish land and build units for young people in need. This will be an opportunity to hear more about the proposal, ask questions and raise issues for further follow up. The session will be held in the school hall directly after Sunday mass - 10am. Morning tea will be provided.
SACRAMENTAL DATES
Sacrament of Confirmation Mass Thursday 13 June 2024 —6:00pm
If you have a child eligible to receive the Sacraments, please contact the parish office for further information: charnwood@cg.org.au
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.
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. What is an upstander?
If you see something that’s not OK, like bullying or other abusive behaviour online, you have a choice: support the targeted person, or do nothing and keep scrolling.
If you decide to help, you’ve chosen to be an upstander.
Situations you may see that are not OK:
- People making hurtful comments about someone in a gaming chat.
- Nasty rumours being spread about a person through direct messages.
- Memes being posted to make fun of a person ‘as a joke’.
- A fake social media account being set up in someone’s name to embarrass them or send nasty messages to their friends.
- Someone’s nudes being shared when they were meant to be kept private.
How can I be an upstander?
By doing something to help a person being bullied or abused online, you can be part of creating a positive cultural change.
A lot of people want to help if they see others being harmed online, but they don’t know how to, or they worry they’ll be attacked for speaking up. There are some ways to support the targeted person and help them feel less isolated while still keeping yourself safe.
Depending on your style, what you feel confident doing and how someone is being bullied or abused, you may choose a different way to help each time, and that’s OK. All the options can have a huge positive impact. Here are some you can try on their own or combined with each other.
Reach out to the person being bullied or abused
Send a message to the person being bullied or abused. Ask if they’re OK and offer your support. Whether they’re your friend, or someone you only kind of know, a few words of support can go a long way.
Remember to use supportive language. It’s important to avoid phrases that might make them feel worse, like ‘You must be so embarrassed’ or ‘I would want to die if I were you’. You could say ‘Hey are you OK? I saw what was posted and it’s not cool’.
Let them know there are ways to get help, including reporting harmful content. You could send them these links and help them work out what to do:
You could also suggest they talk to a confidential counselling and support service.
If you don’t know the person who was targeted very well, you may be able to ask someone who’s closer to them to check they’re coping OK.
Call out the bad stuff online
If you feel confident and safe, speak up about the bullying or abuse you see online. It could be as simple as posting a comment, GIF or meme that says ‘This is not OK’.
Or you could show your support by leaving a positive comment about the targeted person, such as saying what you like about them. This can take some of the impact away from the bad stuff and help the person feel better.
Even if you’re not the one who was targeted by bullying or abuse, you can report it to the site, game or app where it happened. This helps to keep everyone safe online. Collect evidence as proof and check The eSafety Guide for links.
Say something to the person being mean
If you feel like someone is taking things too far online, think about reaching out to them privately to let them know what they’re doing could be causing harm. Maybe they’re unaware of how they’re making the other person feel. Or maybe they know it’s mean, and hearing that you think it’s not cool will help them change their behaviour.
Call in other support
It’s important to call in other support if the drama is getting serious or the person who was bullied or abused seems really affected by what was posted online about them – maybe they’re not turning up to school or they seem really withdrawn or less talkative.
Talk to a trusted adult like a parent, teacher or older sibling so they can help you work out what to do. You could show this page to them, to help explain what’s happening. Or you could get advice about what to do from a free, confidential counselling and support service like Kids Helpline (for young people up to 25).
The Australian government’s new campaign Consent Can’t Wait challenges us all to improve our understanding of consent. It asks a series of questions to illustrate this issue is more complex than simplistic “no means no” messaging.
The campaign invites viewers to consider the nuances of consent, so we can raise these important issues with children and young people in our lives.
But what is a good age to start talking about consent? How do parents tackle such conversations when this information probably wasn’t readily discussed in our own upbringing?
How it starts – early childhood (0–5 years)
Small on-going conversations about consent that start early are best. At this age, children are becoming aware of their bodies, and this is a great time to start basic conversations around consent, body safety and boundaries.
If you’re tickling or rough-housing with your child and they ask you to stop, respect this. Similarly, you want your child to learn that they should listen to and respect the feelings of others.
We should also not force a child to give a hug or a kiss to a family member if they don’t feel comfortable. Teaching them to be polite and respectful without having to cross their own personal boundaries is key.
Bath time can also be a great setting to discuss how children’s bodies are their own and the basics of boundaries and privacy.
Childhood and primary school (6–11 years)
As children enter school, their social networks start to expand and the potential for conflict is inevitable. As parents, we can help them to navigate this time and unpack more developed ideas around consent.
The focus at this stage should be to ensure young people have the necessary skills to form healthy friendships and to engage respectfully with others. You may also want your child to recognise the diversity and difference that exists in our society.
It’s important your child starts to learn about verbal and non-verbal communication. Body language can provide great insight into how another person might be feeling, and children can learn how to tune in and respect others as much as possible.
Final tips for families
Start the conversations early focusing on basic ethics, rights and bodily autonomy. Consent conversations can build in an age-appropriate way and extend to discussions about sexual relationships as children age.
While discussions should be age-appropriate where possible, it may be relevant to introduce certain topics earlier if need be too.
Communication about consent is best when it’s direct, free from judgement and maintains an open-dialogue. These discussions might feel awkward or uncomfortable but they are important. Homes are critical places for these discussions and it is important that your child sees you as an approachable and askable parent.
Education around consent won’t stop sexual violence on it’s own, so it’s important to have these discussions alongside other areas of importance.
Discussions around challenging gender stereotypes, modelling respect and how to intervene, the importance of empathy, as well as online safety such as sexting and pornography can assist.
June Birthdays
Millie A, Maeve J, Leilani MH, Emilia S, Maddison J, Samin MT, Emily M, Samuel B, Alyssa L, Phoebe S, Anna D, Om B, Zachary M, Ivy LH, Luke S, Angok C, Annabelle M, Voilet W, Tobenna M, Emma O, Isabelle N, Nash H, Aleisha MA, Leo W, Tori D, Georgia R, Layla S, Jordan C, Lexi K, George B-C, Anabel E, Nella W-S, Mackenzie C, Reyansh K, Annabella L, Xavier O, Lucas G, Chuol C
