Filter Content
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.
“THIS IS THE HARDEST THING I’VE EVER WRITTEN.”
Below I have shared the link to one of the most heartbreaking stories I have ever read. The article titled, This is the Hardest Thing I've Ever Written, is by Scott Pape OAM. Known as the Barefoot Investor, the Order of Australia Medallist is a renowned author and commentator on personal financial wellbeing.
But the story he shares in the article below moves well beyond that topic and into the realms that affect us most deeply and personally: love, loss, tragedy, family, and technology. I have shared this link, and this story, because I want every family in our school community to know and understand the risks involved with the emerging adolescents and young adults as they attempt to navigate their relationships with their peers, and with technology. Once you have read the article from Scott Pape, please continue to read my reflection below.
https://www.barefootinvestor.com/articles/this-is-the-hardest-thing-ive-ever-written
If you or someone you know needs help:
Lifeline - 13 11 14
Kids Helpline - 1800 55 1800
Beyond Blue - 1300 224 636
Whilst on the surface, the relevance of this article may only be for families who have teenagers in the home. The education and conversations should and must begin much younger. As we know, our young people are digital natives. Technology is an ingrained and ubiquitous experience of growing up in the 21st Century. Supporting our young people to navigate to become responsible, ethical and healthy users of technology is the preoccupation and priority of parents and educators alike. This requires a continued emphasis on cyber safety and digital citizenship at home and school to enable students to reflect on their engagement in the digital space. It is not the technology that presents the risk; rather it is the user of the technology that creates the risk. Therefore, it is critical that all parents, staff and students of the school community are armed with the necessary information and knowledge to ensure that our young people are safe and positive online.
As an experienced educational leader, I have been responsible for the development of the Cyber Safety policy, and student and parent education programs. Through these various educational programs, I aimed to inform the community on a range of matters in the realm of cyber safety including; cyber bullying & harassment; sexting; managing your digital footprint and online reputation; being respectful and responsible online; the presence of sexual predators online; managing your social media security settings to maximise security; and the importance of speaking up to a trusted adult if you are aware of potential cyber safety issue.
I also had the opportunity to present at the National Cyber Safety Education Conference in Sydney in 2018 to share my approach to cyber safety education and management. Additionally, I was able to invest in attracting and engaging with nationally renowned speakers and experts on cyber safety to present to the parent community, run workshops with staff, and educate the student cohort. This included Susan McLean, Jonny Shannon, and Dr Kristy Goodwin.
As our lives and routines continue to get busier, the temptation is there to increase the number of hours our children use devices or even purchase them new devices. And so, I offer an additional thought: please consider investing in the people, literature, and wisdom available to support your child's safe engagement in the digital space.
Please visit the websites below for further information:
Susan McLean - https://www.cybersafetysolutions.com.au/
Jonny Shannon - https://www.jonnyshannon.com/
Dr Kristy Goodwin - https://drkristygoodwin.com/
Mr Casimir Douglas
Sunday 2nd June, 2024
SALUTATION
Grace to you and peace.
STM TV: QUESTION TIME WITH THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION
This episode for Term 2 - Week 6, 2024, features the Hon. Jo Palmer MLC, Minister for Education! During her visit to our school this week, the Minister was brave enough to agree to sitting down with our School Captains in Mr Douglas' office to answer their hard hitting questions about education, parenthood, and life in politics!
Thank you so much to the Hon. Jo Palmer to the gift of her time, and the care and sincerity in her answers. Please enjoy this special edition of STM TV!
STM TV is our school's episodic YouTube show designed to share the key learning experiences of nominated students and classes each week to engage our parents and the broader community in the learning journey of our school.
HON. JO PALMER MLC, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION - SCHOOL VISIT
Today, we were grateful to be visited by the Hon. Jo Palmer MLC, Minister for Education! It was a wonderful opportunity to share the priorities and vision for our school, celebrate our culture, and for the Minister to enjoy the welcome and warmth customary of St Thomas More's Catholic School.
The School Captains greeted the Minister at the school gate. This was followed by a brief visit to the 1/2 Saint classroom for these students to share what they are grateful for in the life of our school, before the Minister joined our Grade 3/4 students in activities during their friendship skills curriculum which promote social skills, emotional literacy, and relationship-building.
The Minister was kind, curious, genuine in her interest in our school, and sincere in her engagement with our students. We also gifted the Minister a Gratitude Jar that our students had filled with coloured pieces of paper that celebrated what they were grateful for at school! And the Minister promised our students that the Gratitude Jar would take pride of place in her office at Parliament House in Hobart!
And the Minister promised our students that the Gratitude Jar would take pride of place in her office at Parliament House in Hobart!
PRINCIPAL'S MORNING TEA
At our Friday afternoon School Assembly last week, there were a number of students who received a Gospel Value Award for demonstrating the value of EMPATHY. These students attended a special Principal’s Morning Tea in Josephite Hall this Tuesday (4th June) with myself and Fr Leonard Caldera.
We were treated to a smorgasbord of cakes, fruits, and lamingtons and we each shared what we are grateful for in our lives, including; our mothers, Mr Douglas, the education we receive at St Thomas More's, the roof over our heads, parents, friends, family, swimming at the Launceston Aquatic Centre, and even the very air we breathe! They also shared about their hobbies, interests and dreams which included dancing, gymnastics, swimming, soccer, Little Athletics, painting, bush walks, basketball, art, netball, snow-skiing, mountain bike riding, Drama Club, football, and skateboarding!
'WEAR WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY' DAY!
Today (Friday 7th June) we held our 'Wear What Makes You Happy Day' as a fundraiser to support our Early Years - Little Gem Production with TasDance that will be held at Door of Hope on Wednesday 3rd July from 6:00pm-7:00pm in Week 10 of this term. Every student from Kinder-Grade 2 will be involved in the performance.
The concepts that the performance is aiming to bring to life, through the medium of dance, are the the GEM Principles from The Resilience Project: Gratitude, Empathy & Mindfulness. These three pillars not only form the foundation of wellbeing practices about which our youg people are learning, but they also form the framework of the The Resilience Project curriculum.
There were a range of different attires represented on the day, including track pants, basketball jerseys, pyjamas, oodies, and our new Staff Polos!
I must also thank the members of our School Advisory Board for their flexibility, availability, requisite tong technique, and for giving up their time to cook the hamburgers for lunch, which students were also able to purchase for a gold coin donation. And thank you also to our P&F for the very generous donation of the burger patties!
I look forward to our families filling the Main Auditorium at the Door of Hope Function Centre.
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
Our amazing Kinders have been loving learning about the sounds letters make.
This was spotted in the Kinder room showing words the students thought of for each sound.
