Dear Families,

Grandparents and Special Persons Day

We are looking forward to hosting our Grandparents and Special Persons Day on Friday. Our Prayer celebration will start at 10.30am in the courtyard. By having the prayer celebration outside, we will be able to have a larger number of people attend. While we have not set a limit on the number of special people per student who can attend, we do ask that you be sensible with this number given we can only have a maximum of 500 additional adults on site (which is less than 2 adults per student enrolled). We understand that some grandparents will not be able to attend because they are in Sydney or another restricted area. Many of our families will be in this position so please do not think that your child will be the only one without a grandparent present, we will do our best to make them feel special too.

Director of Catholic Education attends our Leadership Meeting

Yesterday, Mr Ross Fox, Director of Catholic Education attended our leadership team meeting to discuss a book we are currently reading. The book, Why Knowledge Matters, examines the impact of a knowledge-based curriculum versus a skills-based curriculum (some of you may have seen Mrs Myles cheekily talking about how she is persevering with reading this text in the recent video on facebook). Mr Fox joined in on a discussion on how this book was challenging the way we were thinking about teaching and how it aligned with the work we were doing with Initialit and COGLearn in Mathematics. The leadership team spoke about the change in learning and student engagement we were already seeing in our students, and how teachers have been excited to take on these new ways of teaching. We also spoke about how lucky we are at St Thomas Aquinas, to have such professional and enthusiastic teachers who were willing to take this evidence-based teaching to benefit student learning.

Parent Portal

Next term will be introducing a Parent Portal. 

The Compass Parent Portal is an online portal that will let you access important information about your child’s school and their progress, including school reports. 

The portal will be accessible via the web and the Compass School Manager App (via the App store on your device) and will make engaging with us as a school faster, easier and more secure.

The Parent Portal can be accessed to:

• Receive relevant messaging through the app or desktop
• Submit absence notes
• Give consent for excursions/events
• Communicate with teachers
• Academic reporting
• Attendance records
• Quick access to school website

More information will be available in our next newsletter.

Preparation for Remote Learning

As we closely watch the numbers of COVID cases in NSW, we are hopeful that ACT schools will continue to function at full capacity. If however, we do need to move to remote learning we are ready. All students have access to Teams as well as Google Classrooms or SeeSaw and teachers are ensuring students can log in or parents have access to the login codes. Information regarding access to these platforms will be provided later in the week. At this stage, our mantra is that we are ‘Alert but not Alarmed’. If we do have to move to Remote Learning, we are ready.

 God Bless

 
Leah Taylor
Principal

Please note that the first fete meeting will be Wednesday Week 4 (4/8/2021) at 6pm in the library - all welcome!

Online orders for Issue 5 due by 28 July 2021

Scholastic Book Club Order Forms have been sent home today.

No cash orders will be accepted at the Front Office for Scholastic Book Club.

The school will still get credits and the books will still be delivered to school for us to distribute, unless parents have requested they be delivered to their home.

Please download the INLOOP App
on your device or order from the online website.

https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx

 Any questions please contact me via email ksligar@bigpond.net.au

• Building Fund Statements
  Building Fund Statements for tax purposes have been sent, via your normal invoice channels. 
  
• School Fees for Term 3
  School Fees for Term 3 have been sent out and are due by Friday, 20 August 2021. 

• COMPASS Kiosk
  Please note that our Compass Kiosk has been installed.  This requires all parents/carers to sign their child/ren IN/OUT/LATE.

Please note that all students are required to be at school by 9am each day.  If you drop your child/ren off after 9am, please enter the Front Office to sign your child/ren in.  

Parents who have dropped their children off after 9am, and not signed their child/ren in late, will be asked to return to school to sign-in their child/ren via the Compass Kiosk at the Front Office.  This is a CE compliance requirement.

• Absentee Notifications
  Whilst we await the introduction of the Compass Parent Portal, it is preferable that Absentee Notifications be advised electronically as they are now required to be attached electronically.  Notifications can be sent via:

• • SZapp portal - Choose Absentee - see menu below.  Instructions on how to install SZapp can be found here.
  • Email the teacher
  • Email the office via office.staquinas@cg.catholic.edu.au

Thank you for your co-operation.

• Enter the School via the Front Office Only
  For the safety of students and staff, all parents/carers/visitors must enter the school via the Front Office only.  Please do not enter the school via any other door, even if it is for a short period of time to talk to a teacher, check lost property etc.  Our COVID requirements also require all visitors to the school to register with the Front Office and to Check In CBR App.
  
  
• Arranging Meetings with Teachers
  Just a reminder that if you wish to speak/meet with your child's teacher, please pre-arrange a time with the teacher via email as teachers often have meetings and professional development before/after school.

Dear Families

The Music Bus conducts weekly instrumental lessons at our school.  The Music Bus is a one-stop music education experience with a high-tech, mobile music classroom with highly-trained teachers offering additional music lessons to our students. This is a great opportunity to get your child started on a musical instrument in a fun and engaging way.

They have places available for term 3 and are seeking new students to join the program.

Please see the attached brochure for the Music Bus.

Please read the attached flier and either scan the QR code on the flier or Click here to register your interest 

Don't miss the bus!

Fiona Sutton
CEO

P: 1300 168 742
E: fiona.sutton@themusicbus.com.au
W: www.themusicbus.com.au

Community News is located on our website.

JULY 2021
Congratulations to the following students who will be celebrating their birthday this month:

Amelia S;  Isla McG;  Abel W;  Sophie C;  Ruhaab J;  Leo W;  Milenna P;  Grace C;  Marlenna K;  Alexis J;  Oliver F;  Abigail S;  Marko CC;  Lukas M;  Natalia O;  Daniel A;  Athena Wh;  Romeo CC;  Hannah M;  Ruby T;  Noel G-T;  Ajah A;  Aiden C;  Levi T;  Addyson W;  Chloe B;  Mila M;  Sebastian M;  Tazmyn L;  Samuel S;  Thomas B;  Stefford R;  Layla L;  Eathan C