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Dear Families,

As we move into our third week back, students are beginning to settle back into the routine of school. Over the break we had a few changes with staffing, with a few changes still to come. This week, Ms Stephanie Cooper joined us in the Front Office. Steph replaces Lucy and has already started to get to know staff, students and parents. I am sure you will all make her feel very welcome to our STA community.

Thank you for continuing to monitor and test for COVID. We are continuing with our COVID safe practises within the school and have generally had very little spread. Almost all cases within the school have been a result of another family member or other community activity. We are working with CE and ACT Health to monitor all cases and will respond to multiple cases where necessary. I will continue to inform the community of cases as they arise.

Next week, teachers will hold a goal setting meeting between you and your child. The booking site for these meetings will be available from this afternoon. Unfortunately these meetings have to be held on MSTeams, teachers will send a meeting booking to your email address prior to the meeting. You may need to download MSTeams to your device before the meeting. Goal setting meetings are a good opportunity for you and your child to discuss what your child hopes to achieve this year. All going well, we will have another opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher face-to-face later in the year, either during our Learning Journeys week or following each of the reporting period.

Thank you for your support and understanding over the last few weeks. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful supportive community. Many of you will have heard news reports regarding staff shortages in schools across the country during this period. You may have already heard about your child having a guest teacher, or about how the teacher from the other class has been working with their class also, supported by a Classroom Support Assistant. Teachers, CSAs and Administrative staff have been working very hard to ensure classes have not had to be split over this period. This has meant that at times teachers have been teaching up to 50 children in the one class with CSA support. I would like to acknowledge this additional effort from all of the staff, knowing that taking on extra students, or working outside of their job description adds to their workload considerably. I know a number of you have been reaching out to your child’s teacher or to others and thanking them for this extra effort which helps all of us to continue to do what needs to be done at this time.

I am pleased to say that as of last week, all contaminated soil has either been removed or contained. Topsoil has been spread and we expect to see turf being laid over the next few weeks. I know the community has been waiting a long time for this remediation of the oval to occur and it is very exciting to see that the wait is almost over.

God bless

Leah Taylor
Principal

Information regarding bus services available to our students can be found on the Transport Canberra website found here.

Please note that these are not dedicated school bus services for our school.

Below are bus timetables relevant to our school.

Please note that there is no supervision before 8:30am and after 3:20pm, unless the school has been notified of an emergency.

Students who need care outside these hours are able to use the services of OSHC (Outside School Hours Care).  For legal and safety reasons, children should not be on the school premises before 8:30am and must depart the school grounds as soon as they are released from school, unless they are attending our OSHC facility, ELC or are involved in a school arranged activity such as school sports training.

STUDENT ARRIVALS/DEPARTURES

Please note that it is a legal requirement for schools to keep attendance records of students, and records of student late arrivals and early departures from school.

Students Arriving Late for School

• It is preferrable that all students arrive at school by 8:50am to ensure that they have greeted their friends and teacher, been marked off rolls, and are abreast of their daily activities.  Whilst we understand that this is not always possible, for many reasons, this is an important part of the day for all students.
  
  
• Students arriving at school after 9.00am must enter via the Front Office with their parent /guardian who is required to sign them in using the COMPASS Kiosk
  
  
• Please do not drop-off your child off on the black top as this is a safety issue after 8:50am.

Students Leaving Early from School

• No child is permitted to leave the school grounds during school hours without a teacher/parent/guardian.
  
  
• If you are aware that you are picking your child up early on a particular day, please advise their teacher or the Front Office by providing a note.  Please be mindful that teachers are often unable to view emails/online info during class time. Please do not enter a note in the Compass portal. 
  
  
• Parents wishing to collect their child early must report to the Front Office where they will sign the child out using the COMPASS Kiosk 
  
  
• Please do not pick up a student between 2:45pm and 3:00pm unless it is an emergency.  The Front Office and classrooms are generally very busy at this time and locating and calling students over the class phone, or the school speaker, is disruptive for all.  

Thank you for your cooperation.

The Music Bus is a wonderful music program that many of our students are already enjoying – a brilliant and cost-effective way for students to get fun and specialist music lessons without parents having to travel all over the area after school.

If you’re interested in your child having music lessons through The Music Bus, check out their website at www.themusicbus.com.au or call 1300 168 742.

OSHClub provide before and after school care in our school hall.  If you need to drop off your child before 8:30am and pick them up after 3:15pm, we advise that you use the services provided by OSHClub.  Please see information below:

STA will be following all health and safety advice provided by ACT Health and Catholic Education regarding COVID-19.  Please note that our conditions of entry may change depending on COVID-19.

Due to COVID, it is our preference that parents/visitors remain outside the school.  If you need to enter the school, during school hours, you must enter the school via the Front Office, hand sanitise, and Sign-In.  Please do not enter the school if you are displaying symptoms of COVID-19.  Please do not enter the school via any other door and please do not park on the black top after 8:50am for safety reasons.

If you wish to have a meeting with your child's teacher, please email the teacher directly to arrange a suitable time, and they will meet you at the Front Office, once you have completed sign-in procedures.  

Your cooperation is much appreciated.

• School Fees for Term 1 will be sent home by the end of Week 4.
  
  
• School Fees include operational costs and will now incorporate the following expenses which were previously separate.
  • Book Pack Levy (including software licence fees) of $163 per student and are provided at cost price.
    This fee will be apportioned over the four terms instead of Term 1 only.
• Specific excursions costs, such as Years 5 and 6 Camps, will also appear on your school fee statement in Term 1, however this fee must be paid prior to camp as per the Camp Note.
  
  
• STA is moving towards being cashless.
  • Credit or Debit Card payments can be made over the phone or in person via our EFTPOS machine.
    
    
  • Payments can also be made via BPAY.
    
    
  • QKR
    Our school has introduced Qkr!™, a mobile phone payment app designed for Australian schools, delivering an online credit card payment solution for parents.
    
    Please install Qkr on your phones as over the next few weeks and next year we will be introducing items to purchase via this system.  Please find below Qkr Installation Notes and Parent Tips.
    
    

CANTEEN

The Canteen is open from Wednesdays to Fridays - for the first 10 minutes of each break.  We sell a limited selection of healthy canteen approved chips and ice blocks.

SUBWAY

Parents and staff are able to place Subway Orders Online.  Click on the link below to place an order and payment as well. 

Cut-off time is 9:15 AM for same day delivery.
Call on 02 6259 9101 to place your order after this time

Subway Lunch Orders can also be made, via Subway Envelope, at school.  Subway envelopes, including cash, need to be placed in the Lunch Order Subway box, located outside the Front Office,  by 9:30am on the day before the lunch is required.  For example, if you would like a lunch order on Wednesday, the lunch order needs to be manually submitted by Tuesday 9:30am.

Here is a sample of the Subway ordering envelope.  Envelopes are available from the Front Office or the classroom.

For the safety of our students, staff and parents please adhere to the following:

• Please park in the designated school parking zones or across the road in the rear car park of the Charnwood Shops
• Please do not call children across unsafe areas of the school.  It is best to come and pick them up and escort them.
• Please do not park in the school's bus stop or on the road in front of the school. The fines from ACT government for parking in this area are hefty and it is policed often. 
• Please do not park on the black top (netball courts) after 8:50am.  This area is used by students after 9am and is a safety risk after this time.
• Please do not park in the two Disability car parks outside the front of the school unless you have a disability permit.
• After 3pm, please do not block traffic by stopping in non-designated car park areas in the car park at the front of the school.

Please remember that STA is a NUT-FREE school.

All students are required to bring a drink bottle, labelled with their name, to school on a daily basis.

Please ensure that your child/children have sufficient healthy food in their lunch boxes:

• Fruit for their fruit break in the morning.
• Healthy sandwiches, fruit, salads, health meal options for their lunch break.
• Fruit and/or snack for recess.

At St Thomas Aquinas, as at all Catholic schools, we have a strict uniform policy.  Full details relating to uniforms can be found on our website here.

Some people question the importance of uniforms at school and would prefer the school to focus on other things. We believe that by focusing on uniform we eliminate a lot of unnecessary worry for students and families, so we are able to focus on what is important. Here are just some of the reasons why all ACT Catholic schools insist on a school uniform:

• Uniforms are a great equaliser
• School uniforms promote learning
• They nourish a sense of equality
• School uniforms promote a feeling of community
• They make it easier to get ready for school
• School uniforms improve safety

Families are reminded that the school uniforms for summer are the following:

Boys School: Sky blue polo shirt with school logo and navy dress shorts with navy socks, black leather (or leather like) school shoes.

Girls School: Maroon checked dress or sky blue polo shirt with school logo and navy dress short with white ankle height socks, black leather (or leather like) school shoes.

Sport: Both boys and girls will wear the same sport uniform.  Navy shorts (optional navy netball skirt for girls) and Sky/Navy sports knit shirt with school logo. Year 6 students may wear their Year 6 shirt.  Runners/Gym shoes/Sneakers for sports days only.

This year the uniform policy will be strictly enforced. If you are unable to afford a uniform, please contact the Front Office and we can support you in purchasing the correct uniform.

At STA we have a NO HAT/NO PLAY policy.  STA now sell school hats at the Front Office.  We have them in Small, Medium and Large and they cost $15 each.  They can be purchased via BPay, Eftpos or Qkr.

The Catholic Education Office of Canberra and Goulburn (CEOCG) policy on the Medical Welfare of Students is below:

Medical_Information_and_Consent_Form_2023.pdf.  This form must be completed by a parent/guardian for each student, if they have a medical condition, and returned to the school by the end of Week 3.

Depending on your child's medical condition, we may require you to complete additional forms which can be found below.

• Medical Form 1 - Request to Dispense Medication During School Hours
  This form is to be completed by Parents/Guardians for all medications to be administered during school hours, in addition to Medical Plans if applicable.
• Medical Form 2 - Deed of Indemnity
  This form is to be completed by Parents/Guardians for the administering/dispensing of Schedule 8 Drugs.
• Medical Form 3 - Medical Advice to School
  This form is to be completed by the prescribing Doctor if a Medical/Health Plan is not provided. 

Some medical conditions require more complex Health Care Plans including those with asthma, Type 1 diabetes, epilepsy, anaphylaxis or other more complex health procedures.

• An individual health care plan must be developed, and approved by a qualified medical practitioner, for any student:
  • diagnosed with severe asthma, type 1 diabetes, epilepsy or anaphylaxis
  • diagnosed as being at risk of an emergency, or
  • who requires ongoing administration of health care procedures.
• Any medication that is provided to the school must have an expiry date of 2024, where possible.  We understand that some medications have a short expiry date.

Please note that schools do not dispense analgesic substances for pain relief without prior approval from the parent or guardian.  Aspirin, or medications containing Aspirin, can only be administered with written authorisation by the student's doctor. Schedule 8 drugs include Codeine, Concerta and Ritalin.

Compass is our  preferred form of communication.  Teachers may also use other forms of communication for their own class.  If you are not receiving regular communication, please check with the Front Office and your child's teacher to ensure that we have the correct contact details. 

The Compass Parent Portal (CPP) is an essential online portal that allows you to interact with your child’s school and access up-to-date information.

Please note that our school will not be using SMS and Compass PAY as we already have other payment options available for the payment of school fees, camps etc.  These options include EFTPOS, BPAY, Qkr and Direct Debits.

You should have received your log-in credentials via email and you will be able to log into the Parent Portal through the Compass App (Android & IOS0 or Desktop).  If you have not received your Compass log-in details, please contact the Front Office.  Only one email per parent/carer is used in Compass.  If you wish to change the email address used by Compass, please change your preferred email address via the Compass Portal or send an email to office.staquinas@cg.catholic.ed.au.

Please note that the Phone App has less functions than the Desktop App. To search for our school, please search for WEST BELCONNEN, not the School as there are many St Thomas Aquinas schools around Australia.  If installing Compass on your phone, please scroll down when searching the school via the suburb to locate our school.

Below are some quick links for parents:

• Information Sheet for Parents
• Visual Guide for Parents
• Downloading the App
• Logging in to the Parent Portal
• Attendance Notes

Further information is available on our Website.  See link below:

Newsletters
Newsletters are sent out weekly.  They can also be found on our website under Communication / Newsletter here. 

JANUARY 2022
Congratulations to the following students who will be celebrating their birthday this month:

Athena V; Kingsley Junior O; Kings Morgan O; Olive M; Casey M; Ronith T; Rohi B; Delilah W-P; Ryl A; Lucas A; Lachlan P; Yaak A; Ashleigh H; Willow L; Oliver R; Fay D; Elle K; Summer H; Sofia H; Ethan M; Blake M; Heath W; Hannah E; Isabelle McC; Amelia H; Kai U; Nicholas K; Imogen T; Kendall T; Amelia W; Melody N; Tahlayla B; Lucas J; Lazarus F; Zoe C; Moah McB; Charlotte M; Noah M; Maci McB; Kai M; Alice S; Beau R.

FEBRUARY 2022
Congratulations to the following students who will be celebrating their birthday this month:

Ava D; Audrey K; Isaac H; Thomas R; Jack B; Seneca B; August S; Jed G; Nevaeh McD; Jack P; Aditya P;Lily H; Bradley L-B; Jessica R; Skylar W; Jaana C; Eloise W; Abbey T; Jasmin P; Anthony McP; Violet P; Matthew R; Evelyn G; Lu'isa T; Mia P; Lachlan W; Evan L; Savanna H; Annabel L; Maddison G; Oliver T.

RISK OF COVID-19

Through Compass Parent Portal our school will advise you daily when members of our school community test positive to COVID-19. We will inform you about the cohort (group) of students and staff who worked with this group of students who may have had contact with a person who was infectious with COVID-19.

While testing and isolation is no longer mandatory for exposures in school settings, ACT Health has provided advice on testing and isolation recommendations for the community following exposure to COVID-19. If notified about potential exposure, you should consider this information when making decisions for your child and family. 

You are reminded that staff and students cannot attend school if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19. These include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss of smell/taste, muscle/joint pains, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting, extreme tiredness, unexplained chest pain or conjunctivitis (eye infection).

If symptoms occur at any time, you should not attend school and should undertake a rapid antigen test. If a rapid antigen test is positive you/your child should isolate as someone who has tested positive to COVID-19. If you cannot access a rapid antigen test, you can attend a PCR (nose and throat swab) testing clinic.

Advice and further resources are available on the ACT Health website including COVID-19 guidelines and fact sheets for People who tested positive or were exposed to COVID-19. Additional resources are also available on the ACT Government website.

The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students are paramount at all times. As such, we will continue to ensure that all necessary health advice is closely followed.

Thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely

Leah Taylor
Principal
St Thomas Aquinas, West Belconnen

16 February 2022

The 2022 Diverse Learning Team includes:

• Classroom Support Teachers: Susan Magyar and Deborah Griffin, supported by Narisa Wong
• Classroom Support Assistants: Josie Barac, Leigh Barwell, Michelle Filtness, Michelle Hastie, Katrina McClintock, Laura Mudford and Marianne Nelson

As a team we provide support to teachers and students through adjusted programs, supplementary intervention programs and professional discussions about tools and modifications to support students overcome barriers to learning and work to reach their potential.

The literacy intervention programs are all evidence based and are a part of the MultiLit suite.  These programs supplement the InitiaLit program providing extra support for students who are needing further consolidation of sounds, words and reading practise.  In Years 1 and 2, MiniLit and MiniLit Sage are implemented.  In Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, MacqLit and Reading Tutor are implemented.

Students are identified using standardised reading assessments and progress monitoring assessments within class programs.  Those who are consistently below benchmarks will be eligible for an intervention program.  Identified students then receive specific placement testing, which identifies their particular difficulties, so that students can be effectively selected and grouped.  Parents receive a letter identifying that their child will be a part of an intervention program and what that entails.  These programs will commence in Week 4 or 5 of Term 1.  Programs run for one semester, with continuous progress monitoring taking place.  At the end of the semester, students on the programs and any additional students who may have been identified are reassessed to guide future groupings.

This year, the Diverse Learning Team are also supporting the implementation of the differentiated Spelling Mastery program.  This will further support students in meeting their learning needs in writing at their level, so that they can progress with confidence.

To support students who may require further consolidation with mathematical concepts, classroom teachers implement Daily Reviews.  This ensures that concepts are revisited and built upon to achieve a deeper understanding and automaticity.  Students may also be further supported with additional time with a Classroom Support Assistant, who will revisit mathematical concepts with a small group at a slower pace.

In the first instance please always discuss your child’s learning with their classroom teacher, who will access the Diverse Learning Team for further support if required.

We look forward to once again seeing great progress and celebrating every success students in our programs make.