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The vision for St Thomas More's Catholic School is to be a vibrant, positive, and energetic learning community, where every child is valued, and where relationships, the Gospel, and our Josephite charism are at the heart of every aspect of our educational program.
We have high expectations for student learning and student behaviour, and aim to support our students to grow into independent and confident learners, but community-minded contributors to society.
Students are invited into an intimate relationship with Christ. We know we have achieved this goal when our students smile when they arrive at school, and are still smiling when they leave.
'OF ONE BEING'
The creature in the video below is called a siphonophore. It is the longest animal in the world, and is of the same species and genus as the jellyfish. But what is incredible is not its length, but that it is a colonial animal.
That is, the siphonophore is one single life form, but it is made up of hundreds of tiny animals called zooids. There are four types of zooids in a siphonophore and each have a different role and responsibility to ensure the health of the animal. Some are responsible for cleaning and regenerating, some are responsible for learning and adapting, some are responsible for hunting and eating, and some are responsible for navigating and safety.
The siphonophore is an incredible creature. It is one single organism that has organised itself over millennia into a colony, and every part must play its role to ensure its flourishing and thriving. It has many different parts, but all those parts are ‘of one substance’ or ‘of one being’. It is a creature that appears otherworldly, unfathomable, mysterious. But, it is a more accurate reflection of the life and community of the Catholic school than one might think.
During the Eucharistic Liturgy, the Nicene Creed is recited by the congregation of the faithful. The creed outlines the key beliefs of the Catholic Church. In the current language of the creed, it describes the relationship between God the Father, and God the Son, and states that the Son is consubstantial with the Father. That is, ‘of one substance’. The previous version of the creed, instead of using the more academic word ‘consubstantial’, used the more poetic phrase ‘of one being’. In addition, the community of faith is referred to as ‘the Body of Christ’, we too are many parts, but one whole.
For the flourishing and thriving of the Catholic school community, our many parts must play their role; our staff in leading and teaching, our School Board in guiding and directing, our parents in supporting and loving, and our students in learning and growing. And whilst we are diverse community populated with human beings from all walks of life, when we join together in solidarity with the single unified goal of our young people becoming the person that God created them to be, then we too are zooids of the siphonophore, we too are consubstantial with God through Christ, and too are ‘of one being’.
Mr Casimir Douglas
Wednesday 7th February, 2024
Dear Parents and Carers,
SALUTATION
Grace to you and peace.
WELCOME TO THE 2024 SCHOOL YEAR
Welcome to the 2024 school year at St Thomas More's Catholic School!
The weeks in the lead up to the start of the school year are characterised by preparation, busyness, anticipation and wonder for staff, parents and students alike. New shoes, new uniform, new classrooms, new lesson plans, and new morning routines at home. And some familiar routines too; lunchbox preparation, cleaning uniforms, drop off and pick up, fruit breaks, and lunch breaks.
It is no accident that the first three items of my Principal's Message in this first Newsletter of the school year bear the word 'welcome' in the title. A welcome characterised by invitation, warmth, and hospitality is central to the Christian identity. Indeed, Christ himself modelled this for us. As preached he spoke the words, "Come all you weary, come gather round near me, and I will give you rest" (Matt 11:28-30).
His words of welcome did not contain any stipulations or regulations, all were welcome no matter where they were on their journey. Just as at St Thomas More's Catholic School, all are welcome no matter the stage on their educational journey: no matter their level of academic progress, no matter their social and emotional maturity, no matter their engagement in spiritual development, all are welcome!
WELCOME PRAYER ASSEMBLY & LEADERSHIP BLAZER PRESENTATION
We commenced the 2024 school year together by joining together to celebrate our Welcome Prayer Assembly in the Piazza. I shared with the students that it is my priority to ensure that our school is a safe and positive learning environment, where everyone is welcome, belongs and is respected, and where we commit to becoming the best version of ourselves, the person that God created us to be. I explained that we do this by rehearsing the positive through being respectful, being responsible, and being a learner.
It was my pleasure also to present the Leadership Blazers to our School Captains for 2024. This blazer symbolises not only their leadership status within the school community, but also their responsibility to uphold and model the school values for their peers. The School Captains will wear them for every Monday morning gathering and Friday assembly this year, in addition to all other formal occasions on the school calendar. Congratulations again to our School Captains for 2024: Maggie Beaumont, Pippa Harmey, Noah Kerrison & Mason Swain.
SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD APPOINTMENT - MR JAIME FOSKETT
It is with great pleasure that inform the school community that following the recent application and nomination process for the vacancy on our School Advisory Board, that Mr Jaime Foskett has been appointed to the role of Board Member.
Jaime has two children enrolled in the school for the 2024 school year, Julian (Year 1) and Reuben (Kinder). We will look forward to welcoming Jaime and all of our Board Members to our first Board Meeting this year on the evening of Thursday 22nd February.
Please join me in congratulating Jaime on his appointment to the School Advisory Board! Please find below the names of our Board Members and roles to commence the 2024 school year. The group of dedicated individuals who are passionate about building the vision of St Thomas More's Catholic, meet with mysef and Deputy Principal, Ms Allison Cornish, each month to explore the operational and strategic goals of our school.
2024 SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Board Chair: Derek Bye
Deputy Chair/Secretary: Lisa Amerikanos
Treasurer: Marcus Moore
Priest: Fr Chathura Silva
Jaime Foskett
Chris Massey
Rhiannon Menegon
COMMUNITY WELCOME EVENING!
As per previous correspondence, the Community Welcome Evening is being held on Monday 19th February from 5:00pm – 7:00pm in the Kitchen Garden.
Additionally, from 5:00pm-5:30pm, we will be holding open classrooms as an opportunity for parents to view their child's learning environment and meet their child's classroom teacher. There will be no formal presentations, no prepared speeches, and no new or additional information to be shared on this evening. Just simply an opportunity for parents to briefly meet their child's teacher and visit their child’s learning space.
SWIMMING CARNIVAL
The Swimming Carnival is being held next Wednesday (14th February) at Riverside Pool for our Grade 3-6 students!
The Swimming Carnival is always the one of the most eagerly anticipated dates on the school calendar. It is an opportunity for our students to build House spirit, form relationships, and enjoy a summer day at the pool with their peers in a climate of fun and competition.
My advice to all students is enjoy the day, be SunSmart, drink water, participate enthusiastically, encourage your peers, and put yourself out there to dive into new experiences. Adventure into the unknown is where both fun and personal growth begin!
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
We have 10 student circus tickets available, which have been kindly donated by The Great Moscow Circus. The tickets are valid until Friday, 16 February 2024 for students between the age of 3 to 14 years old.
Students are required to wear hats outdoors during Term 1. Please ensure that your child's hat is packed in their school bag.
Come & Try
All new and returning players welcome!Is your child thinking about playing soccer this year? Come along for a kick of the ball, play some games and have fun with new friends! All sessions are free with no obligation to register.A fun attitude, drink bottle, football boots or sports shoes, shin pads are strongly recommended.Dates:Wednesday 14th February - Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, 227 York St. LauncestonSunday 18th February - St Thomas More's Catholic School, 125 Abbott St. NewsteadThursday 22nd February - St Thomas More's Catholic School, 125 Abbott St. NewsteadTimes:U5 - U8: 4:00pm - 4:45pmTo participate in U5’s your child needs to have been born in 2019.U9+: 4:45pm - 5:30pmPlease follow the linkbelow to register your interest in your child attending.
