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.

FOSTERING GREATNESS

If I were to distil the task, focus, purpose and aim of St Thomas More’s Catholic School into just two words, they would be: Fostering Greatness. Indeed, those two words are the key theme, the tagline, and axiom of our Strategic Plan (2025-2030). The key data that informs the development of a school’s Strategic Plan in the School Improvement Cycle in Catholic Education Tasmania is the Validation Survey for students, parents, and staff; which we conducted in 2023. As an additional data gathering exercise, in Term 1 of this year, I met with every individual staff member and required a response from them to the following question: 

What are the two most important things we want our students to know is true about themselves and their place in the world by the time they graduate from Grade 6 at St Thomas More's Catholic School?

I've since had the opportunity to review, annotate, and conduct a thematic analysis of their responses to the question. Drawing on the major themes emergent from those conversations, the following statement that summarises the key concepts that saturated the staff’s response, thought, and reflection on what is most important:

"Our mission is to create a learning environment that fosters greatness and enables flourishing through Christ as our teacher. With humility, our students embrace self-acceptance and know they can make a positive difference in the world."

Fostering greatness… It is ambitious, bold, hopeful, and in keeping with our high expectations. The most common theme emergent from these conversations was that we want our students to know that they have something to offer the world, and shouldn't settle for just average or good, but genuinely seek to be the best version of themselves, the person that God created them to be - that is greatness. And it is our task to foster that. Please note that the 'With humility' language is important, as this reflects and is evocative of our Josephite charism, and it is also a key balancing concept to the aspirational language of 'greatness'. However, 'greatness' is deeply embedded and celebrated in the Catholic lexicon. The great 13th century Italian theologian, St Thomas Aquinas wrote: "The greatness of the human being consists in this: that is capable of the whole universe". Ambitious indeed!

But what is this greatness that we are aiming to foster in our students? The word ‘greatness’ in this context refers to our students’ building a healthy sense of personal significance, that, “I matter”, to truly know their worth and potential, to find their voice, and make a positive contribution to the lives of others. We want our students to be ambitious.

Although, the word ‘ambition’ has a negative connotation that suggests ‘a personal pursuit born of greed’. But 19th century American author and professor, John Alexander Sheed, wrote: “A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for”. When we speak of the ambition we have for our students, it is that they seek to transform themselves, in order to transform our world. But this cannot be done from a position of comfort, and was attested to by Pope Benedict XVI, who only passed away in 2022: “The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness”. And his successor to the Papal throne, Pope Francis, defined the character of the greatness we seek to foster in our students: “Greatness and success in God’s eyes are measured differently: They are measured by service”.

And indeed, the greatness we expect our students to develop is not the greatness of secular contemporary culture: fame and fortune and glory. It is the greatness of service and humility. And there is no better example of service than St Mother Teresa of Calcutta whose wisdom, commitment to others, and true understanding of a life of greatness, is captured in these words: “We cannot do great things, only small things with great love”. And so it is. 

The greatness that is our mission to foster in our students is not defined by doing, achieving, scoring, winning, proving, and conquering. Instead it is defined by great kindness, great bravery, great curiosity, great attitude, great focus, great determination, great faith, and great love. 

Mr Casimir Douglas

Saturday 31st August, 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,

SALUTATION

Grace to you and peace.

FATHER'S DAY BREAKFAST & FATHER'S DAY CRAFT

This Monday (2nd September) morning, we gathered for our annual Father’s Day Breakfast, where dads and significant male figures in our students’ lives were treated to a BBQ feast. The air was thick with the aroma of sizzling bacon and the sound of dads trying to outdo each other with stories of backyard cricket victories and “legendary” DIY projects. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces and full bellies as we celebrated the important role these men play in shaping our young minds and hearts.

Our students didn’t just stop at feeding their fathers—last week, they put their creative skills to the test in our annual Father’s Day Craft activity supported and organised by our wonderful P&F. Each student customised an unbreakable plastic schooner cup, perfect for whatever drink Dad prefers, whether it’s a craft beer, a home-brewed coffee, or perhaps even a celebratory soda! No matter the beverage, our dads now have the ideal vessel to enjoy it in, courtesy of their talented children.

A huge thank you to our incredible staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make the morning such a success. From grilling up the perfect eggs and bacon to ensuring there were enough napkins for all those sticky fingers, your efforts did not go unnoticed. The BBQ breakfast ran like a well-oiled machine—probably thanks to the extra dose of caffeine many of you were running on!

To all the dads and male role models, thank you for the love, support, and occasional dubious “dad jokes” you bring to our school community. We hope your customised schooner cup serves as a daily reminder of just how much you are appreciated—not just on Father’s Day, but every day!

GOSPEL VALUE AWARDS: DIGNITY

Our fortnightly Gospel Values Awards process provides for the nomination and presentation of the Gospel Value Awards for those students who demonstrate, live out, and exemplify the school's Gospel values. For the month of August, the school community is focused on the Gospel value of DIGNITY. Our Gospel Values: Head, Heart & Hands Framework, reminds our students that to show the value of DIGNITY is to be myself, do my best, be proud.

The following students received a Gospel Value Award at our School Assembly on Friday (6th September), as nominated by their class teacher for exemplifying the Gospel value of DIGNITY:

Term 3 - Week 7, 2024
Lachlan Wrankmore	Lachlan, I love the way that you are always yourself. You are quick to share about the things that make you happy and try so hard to make other feel happy too. Thank you for being you Lachlan, you should feel proud of the awesome person that you are!	Prep More
Zander Robinson	You live the Gospel Value of dignity, when you treat everyone in the classroom with kindness and respect because you are willing to listen to and value others’ points of view.	Prep Thomas
Quinn Cassidy	For the effort and positive attitude she shows towards all her learning activities at school. Quinn shows the Gospel value of dignity by being proud of herself and the work she produces. Keep up the amazing work, Quinn!	Grade 1/2 More
Eli Davis-Rattray	Eli demonstrates the Gospel Value of Dignity by being a role model of honesty in all situations. He is dedicated to always telling the truth, and he inspires his classmates to do the same.	Grade 1/2 Saint
Charlie Thomas	Charlie thank you for always being true to yourself, giving your best, and showing kindness and respect to everyone, this gospel value award for Dignity recognizes your wonderful efforts. You help others feel valued and important. We’re very proud of you and grateful to have you part of 1/2 Thomas.	Grade 1/2 Thomas
Grace Stephens	For being a polite and respectful member of our class and towards your peers in the playground. You are consciously aware of doing the thing and can be relied upon to uphold our school values with dignity. Keep up the amazing work Grace.	Grade 3/4 More
Mia Gebka	Mia respects the dignity of others and is kind and considerate in her actions. She is able to embrace her true self and be a positive role model to her peers.	Grade 3/4 Saint
Esther Cassidy	For her commitment to treating others with respect and kindness every day. Esther embodies the true spirit of dignity, she is a valued member of our classroom, her warmth and openness are truly admired by her peers.	Grade 3/4 Thomas
Jonte Rak	Jonte has really focused this term on being himself, trying his best in all areas, and being proud of his achievements, both small and big! I am really proud of how hard Jonte has worked on these aspects of self development	Grade 5/6 More
Lucy Muller	Lucy has genuinely embodied the value of dignity in everything she does. She treats others with kindness and respect, always considering the feelings and needs of those around her. Whether in the classroom or on the playground, Lucy is a role model who is polite, fair, and thoughtful. Her actions remind us of the importance of treating everyone with dignity, and this award recognises her outstanding commitment to upholding these values. Congratulations, Lucy.	Grade 5/6 Saint
Harry Ralph	For showing outstanding dignity and leadership. Harry always strives to be his best self, takes on personal challenges and listens carefully and honestly to feedback. His efforts to lead by example in challenging situations make him a wonderful role model for others.	Grade 5/6 Thomas

These students will also attend the Principal’s Morning Tea on Tuesday 10th September in the Josephite Hall during the first break at 10:50am with myself and Fr Vinco Muriyada.

DELORAINE YOUTH DRAMA FESTIVAL

This Tuesday evening, St Thomas More's Catholic School took over the stage at Deloraine Dramatic Society's Youth Drama Festival!

This collection of talented young thespians have been practicing and rehearsing non-stop for the past weeks, and this was evident in their performances on the evening. We were treated to a creative and unique Snow White Rap, a colourful and moving dance performance, and a humorous and quite super showcase of Kid Normal.

This opportunity for our students would not be possible without the tireless work, support, and vision of our wonderful Drama teacher, Mrs Angela Edwards! Thank you also to all the parents, family members, friends, and staff that came along to support our students. 

NATIONAL TEACHER AIDE APPRECIATION WEEK!

This Wednesday (4th September) we held a special Morning Tea to celebrate National Teacher Aide Appreciation Week! Our Teacher Assistants are the backbone of our classrooms, providing essential support in countless ways. From helping with lesson preparations and working one-on-one with students to managing classroom behaviour and fostering an inclusive environment, their contributions are invaluable.

To our amazing teacher assistants, you are the first to offer a helping hand, the ones who ensure every child feels seen and supported, and you do it all with warmth, patience, and dedication. Our school community is stronger because of your unwavering commitment to our students and staff. So we trust that this week's morning tea (and the few other sneaky surprises we organised for you!) achieved our goal of emphasising that you are seen, valued, heard, and that we are your greatest supporters!

POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP (2025-2026)

Following a thorough recruitment process, I am pleased to annouce the appointment of the following members of Staff to Positions of Leadership for the 2025-2026 school years:

Instructional Leader - Religious Education: Mrs Belinda Taylor

Student Support Coordinator: Mrs Gemma Stephens & Mrs Julie Love

Team Leader - Early Years: Mrs Jessica Scharapow

Team Leader - Primary: Mrs Danielle Hodgetts

Please join me in congratulating these leaders in our school community who have again placed their gifts, talents, time, and energy into making our school Vision Statement a lived reality.

2024 TRANSITION

In addition to supporting our Year 6 students with their transition to St Patrick's College in 2025, our teaching staff have already commenced the process of preparing and supporting all our students to make the step up to their next year of learning.

Therefore, in order to aid this process for 2025, if parents/guardians have any important information that needs to be communicated to the school to support their child/ren transitioning into new learning environments, please email this information directly to the Principal, Mr Casimir Douglas, by the final day of Term 3 (Friday 27th September).

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

Could you please notify the school via email: stm@catholic.tas.edu.au if your child/children will not be returning to St Thomas More's Catholic School in 2025. Please note that 10 weeks notice is required under the Terms of Enrolment.

Congratulations to Hugh Anderson and Magnolia Johns who have received 25 St Thomas More's sticker rewards for their positive contributions to our school.

Congratulations to Cate Viney, who has received 50 St Thomas More's sticker rewards for her positive contributions to our school.