Dear St Thomas Aquinas community,

Thank you everyone involved in our big week last week! Thank you to all who helped with the 50th Anniversary and the Donuts for Dad celebrations. Thank you all who came to participate and spend the time with family and friends, making them special times.

Thank you to the Year 1 Blue students who also led us through a beautiful Father's Day liturgy as well. Their beautiful prayers, singing and photos helped us all be very grateful for the father's we have (had) in our lives.

School Community Council News

This week our SCC meets. We meet every Week 3 and 8. I would like to thank Liz O'Grady (mum of Ainsley, Kinder Blue) for volunteering to be the SCC Treasurer, taking over from Stephen Kiley.

Stephen and Lian have been very active members of the SCC and in the community for many, many years. Thank you Stephen for your work as Treasurer and supporting the work of the school and community.

Naming of the combined parish

The voting process was completed last weekend for the name of the combined parishes of St Thomas Aquinas and St John the Apostle. There were over 400 votes received and this included a great representation from both mass centres. We had over 40 votes from our school community.

The following three names form the short list that has been provided to the Archbishop:

• Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic Parish
• St Mary of the Cross Catholic Parish
• Christ the Holy Redeemer Catholic Parish

The Archbishop meets with the Council of Priest for our Archdiocese on September 11 and we will hear the Archbishop's decision following this. We will continue to remain St Thomas Aquinas Primary School and be attached to the St Thomas Aquinas Mass Centre.

School Uniform

Over the course of this year I have had the opportunity to learn a great deal about our school and community. The school uniform is visual representation of our school culture and identity. How we wear our uniform is often a reflection of the value we place on school.

Why do we have a school uniform? In short it is about equity, identity, safety, and focus. A school uniform:

1. Promotes Equality

• Reduces peer pressure related to clothing choices.
• Helps minimise visible differences among students.
• Encourages inclusion.

2. Fosters School Identity and Pride

• Uniforms can contribute to a sense of belonging and community.
• They help reinforce the school’s values and culture with our logo 'to care' very evident.

Wearing a uniform can promote pride in the school and its achievements.

3. Improves Safety and Security

• Makes it easier to identify students on excursions or in public spaces.
• Helps staff quickly spot individuals who don’t belong on school grounds.
• Reduces distractions caused by inappropriate (e.g. wording) or unsafe clothing.

4. Supports Focus and Discipline

• Simplifies morning routines for families and students.
• Encourages a mindset geared toward learning and school readiness.
• Reduces distractions in the classroom related to fashion or trends.

5. Cost-Effective for Families

• Uniforms can be more affordable over the long term.
• They reduce pressure on parents to buy multiple outfits for school.

6. Encourages Responsibility

• Students learn to take care of their uniform and present themselves neatly.
• Reinforces routines and expectations around dress and behaviour.

From next term we will have very clear expectations around students wearing the correct summer uniform to school, with no alternatives accepted unless directly discussed with the Principal.

Matthew Garton

Principal

Thank you for joining in our celebrations of this very special milestone. 

 

There is nothing like creativity and determination in action! Tournament of Minds (TOM) provided an opportunity for our 7 STA students to develop their teamwork and problem solving skills, while exploring their creative side and natural talents. It was a 6 week process of weekly after school sessions and break time practices, but they went from a group of individuals to a cohesive team who shone in their TOM presentation. Who knew we had such a talented bunch of amazing kids?!

On Saturday, the 30th of August, our Yr 5/6 TOM team competed in the Social Sciences Challenge, called “TOMmunity Tackles Town Tensions!”. The challenge involved designing a community centre for Canberra and working through the difficult decisions around location, environmental impact, safety, and meeting the needs of a range of people in the community. Our team chose two locations, one in Taylor and one in Macquarie. They set up an STA News set and made their own props to distinguish their characters, which allowed them to present their ideas and discuss the issues across the community. Feedback from the judges was very positive including comments like, “it flowed well and was engaging for the audience… Great insight into the social considerations. A real strength of yours was your characterisations in your interviews,” - our team was thrilled with the outcome and so proud of their efforts. 

Next was the Spontaneous Challenge, where the team had 4 minutes to brainstorm and then present a 1 minute solution to the problem - “What would happen if the number 42 was absent?” With allocated roles, they discussed their ideas, then the students presented with enthusiasm, enthralling the judges. The judges commented that they “really enjoyed hearing all your creative ideas and critical expansion of the implications of the absence of the number 42,” The team finished with a buzz and we were all so pleased with the results.

Congratulations to the 5/6 team - Poppy R., Nella W-S, Mikayla M., Charlotte S., Adam H., Marko C. C. and Jackson H. - on your stellar efforts and representing STA PS with pride. Thank you to Mrs Wang and Miss Smart for helping to coordinate and facilitate the event, especially Mrs Wang who was a volunteer judge all weekend!! We look forward to more students enjoying this enriching experience in 2026.

Miss Smart

September

Jade J, Tilda B-C, Hannah M, Lucy T, Matilda H, William B, Edison B, Luella B, Elodie A, Hamiliton S, Charli C, Aden G, Leo R, Lincoln D, Emma F, Miriam K, Ebadat KS, Lucas P, Piper D, Chelsea T, Eleanor S, Chloe W, Harper E, Agot-Nyibol A, Thomas H, Mansirat K, Arianna D, Gabriel S-P