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An Advent Exhortation
The Necessity for Watchfulness (Matthew 24:37-44)
A reflection on the Gospel from the First Sunday of Advent (Year A)
Written by Mr Casimir Douglas
“So stay awake, for you do not know the day when your master is coming.” (Luke 23:42)
This passage from the Gospel of Matthew marks the First Sunday of Advent, and it ushers in a season patiently waiting for the joy of Christmas. On the surface, it appears that Jesus is lecturing the Disciples about the apocalyptic events at the end of the world. Or, when read in the light of this Sunday’s Second Reading from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans (13:11-14), it may even read as a condemnation of modern secularised notion of Christmas – with its focus on the purchasing of exorbitant gifts and giant lunch time feasts certainly rings of debauchery and drunkenness. However, that is not what Christ is saying at all. The sub-heading for this passage in the Bible is: ‘The Necessity for Watchfulness ’. And it is an exhortation. But an exhortation is not a lecture or a condemnation. It is an address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something. But what is Jesus urging his Disciples to do? And even more importantly, in this passage, what is Jesus urging us to do?
“So stay awake, for you do not know the day when your master is coming”. Jesus is urging us to watch – to take watch, and to watch over. To watch carefully as we wait for our futures to unfold. It is not a passive watching he is urging us towards, like one may watch television on the couch, but an active watching and waiting and preparing for our future. That is, we must not passively wait for our futures to happen to us, come what may. But we must prepare for our future by actively shaping it, and taking steps to strengthen ourselves for the journey ahead.
The Gospel writer, Matthew, is reminding us that: “God comes to us disguised as our lives” (Paula D’Arcy, 2016). God reveals Godself through nature, art, literature, sport, music, dance, and poetry. For some this may be too ordinary, mundane, fleshy, and unspiritual. But is it the only prism through which we may encounter the divine.
Matthew, the evangelist, is challenging his readers to answer the question for themselves: Are you paying attention?
As we approach the liturgical Season of Advent, and anticipate the miracle of the Incarnation; the Birth of Jesus Christ that we celebrate on Christmas day, we enter into a season of waiting, anticipating, and reflecting. We, St Thomas More’s, as a Catholic School community, are invited to contemplate the following questions from this Gospel passage:
- What is Jesus urging you to do?
- How are you preparing for your future?
- Where is your time, attention, and effort most truly valued and valuable right now?
- Where have you been waiting passively, that you could be waiting actively?
- Is your attention on your relationships with the people you love most? If not, why not?
Friday 25th November, 2022
Dear Parents and Carers,
SALUTATION
Grace to you and peace.
WELCOME TO ST THOMAS MORE'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL!
We been working with local marketing business, IdeasBanq, to update the photography, filmography and other digital assets of the school. We have created a welcome video to provide new and prospective families with an insight into life, focus, mission, vision, and lived reality of the learning experience at St Thomas More's Catholic School.
Please also note that the digital assets that we have compiled will also form the key visual content for our new school website which is being launched on Friday 9th December, 2022.
ANNUAL SCHOOLS CONCERT
This Thursday (24th November) evening, 70 students from St Thomas More's Catholic School performed in the Annual Schools Concert in the Nano Nagle Gym at St Patrick's College in Prospect. All the students who performed in the event participate in Music Program offered by St Patrick's College in which students receive regular tuition throughout the year during school time to learn a classical instrument from the string, woodwind, and brass families.
I was so pleased to be present on the evening to watch and listen to our students as they proudly shared their talents and displayed the fruits of all their practicing and rehearsal this year. The art of performing music live as part of a group is a dynamic all-encompassing endeavour, which requires you to concentrate on the technique of your instrument, to read along with the written musical notations, to follow the rhythm and timing of the group, to listen to music being produced by the other instruments for the sonic cues to guide your playing, to watch the conductor for guidance on tempo and volume, and to smile, have fun, and enjoy it while you do it all!
A huge congratulations to all students who performed, to Ms Fiona Mowat for her leadership of the program, to all music tutors for the teaching of our students, to Mrs Natalie Zegveld for her supervision and support of the students, and to the parents for their encouragement and affirmation of their children's talents.
PRINCIPAL'S MORNING TEA
At our Monday morning Prayer Assembly this week, several students received a Gospel Value Award for demonstrating the value of JUSTICE. These students attended a special Principal’s Morning Tea in Josephite Hall with Fr Chathura Silva and myself this Tuesday (22nd November).
Myself and the students were treated to a smorgasbord of fruit, and muffins and scrolls, and we each shared what we are grateful for in our lives, which for this group of award nominees included family, friends, school, food and God! They also shared their hobbies, interests and dreams, including dancing, soccer, cricket, basketball, anime, drawing, painting, singing, and playing with their pets!
ALEXIS HARMEY - NATIONAL SILVER MEDAL!
I am pleased to share the news of an incredible achievement by our own Year 5 student, Alexis Harmey, this past weekend.
Alexis travelled to Brisbane to compete at the School Sport National Track & Field Championships. Alexis received a silver medal in the 11yo Girls Combined Event, which includes the disciplines of 100m Sprint, Long Jump, Shot Put, and 800m. To achieve a sliver medal at a National level is an outstanding achievement! Particularly as there were only three medallists from the entire Tasmania Team for the meet.
This is a fitting reward for Alexis' hard work, discipline, and commitment. Congratulations are also due to Alexis' coach, Mrs Anna Davie, and also to parents Yvette and David for their support and encouragement of Alexis.
Well done, Alexis!
SCHOOLS TRIATHLON CHALLENGE
This Thursday 24th November, almost sixty Years 3-6 St Thomas More's Catholic School students participated in the Schools Triathlon Challenge in Devonport. After an early start to the travel on the bus at 7:00am, the students soon arrived on the north-west coast to warm up for their day of competition, encouragement and challenging themselves and each other. The students tackled the sand, the surf and their pedals with enthusiasm, grit, and determination. All students are to be commended not just on their participation, but also on their performance!
I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Mr Nick Stacey for his tireless work, organisation, and leadership of the school team in the event.
I also with to thank and congratulate all the staff, volunteers, and supporters for travelling along the highway to cheer on our students!
STAFFING 2023 ANNOUNCEMENT
This Wednesday (23rd November), I sent an email to all families via Compass communicating the staffing assignments for all teaching and ancillary staff for the 2023 school year. This communication included the announcement of number of new appointments to teaching roles in our school community.
Following a robust and thorough recruitment process, with the support of Catholic Education Tasmania, we have two teachers new to St Thomas More’s Catholic School joining us in 2023: Mr Julian Davie & Ms Hayley Johns.
Mr Davie joins us from Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Launceston. He possesses 20+ years teaching in Catholic Schools in Tasmania and his experience as an educator, his skills as a basketball coach, and his leadership of the Making Jesus Real program will suit the needs of our Year 5/6 students.
Ms Johns also joins us from Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Launceston and graduated from UTAS in 2019. Her energy for teaching, her enthusiasm for her students, and her desire to learn and grow in her vocation in education will be an asset to our Year 3/4 students and teaching team.
Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Mr Davie and Ms Johns!
ST THOMAS AQUINAS TEACHING SCHOOL
The St Thomas Aquinas Teaching School, and initaitive of Catholic Education Tasmania, hosts a Teacher Cadet program which delivers an integrated, hands on development approach to teacher education in Tasmania. Entry into the program is limited and by a competitive application process.
The program has a three-way structure encompassing:
- An online University Bachelor of Education or Master of Teaching degree
- Weekly Intensive Teacher Development Sessions
- Weekly School Placement as a paid Cadet Teacher working alongside a qualified Mentor Teacher
I am pleased to announce that two members of our Staff community have been successful in their application to join the St Thomas Aquinas Teaching School, and have been placed at St Thomas More's Catholic School for the duration of their tenure in the program.
Please join me in congratulating Mr Damien Brown and Ms Mikaela Petty!
FAREWELL, MR KIDD!
It is my pleasure to announce to the school community in August this year that Mr Shayne Kidd has been appointed to the role of Regional Principal Leader - North with Catholic Education Tasmania. Mr Kidd has been performing the role in 2022, and this appointment furthered his tenure in the role until the end of the 2024 school year. This appointment officially ended Mr Kidd's appointment as Principal of St Thomas More's Catholic School.
This Friday (25th November) at our School Assembly, we had the opportunity to formally farewell, Mr Kidd and thank him for his leadership during his four years as Principal (2018-2021). Each of our classes we given the task of creating and contributing an item to Mr Kidd's farewell to acknolwedge his contribution to the life of our school. These items included picture books, portraits, poems, and videos!
Again, we wish Mr Kidd all the best in his future endeavors. Mr Kidd, of course, will continue to be a presence in our school community in this role, and is always welcome!
FINAL GREETING
May the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
God bless,
Mr Casimir Douglas
Principal
56 students participated in the Triathlon held at Devonport Bluff on Thursday, 24th November 2022, below is some photos.
Please note that there has been a change to term dates, please below updated dates.
Uniform donations - Year 6 parents
We would gratefully appreciate any donations of size 14 and size 16 male and female uniforms at the end of the term. Please drop them off at the front office.
Due to St Patrick's College canteen undergoing works, we will not have acceess to lunch orders for at least the first 6 weeks of Term 1 2023.
We shall advise our school community once we have been notified that lunch orders will commence in Term 1, 2023.