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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.
YOU ARE ENOUGH
This Wednesday, the School Leadership Team isolated themselves in the Deputy Principal’s Office to participate in a Strategic Planning Day. The day is a key milestone and important step in the process of developing the Strategic Plan (2025-2030). In these reflections I have been writing regularly on the theme of the strategic plan: fostering greatness. I have explored how it interacts with the life of our school, the way in which we parent, our goals as a community, contemporary books and writings, ancient wisdom, and practical educational priorities. And the same key tension always emerges for me: How do we encourage, orient and inspire our students toward greatness, whilst simultaneously having them know that they are enough, just as they are?
I know this question intimately, as it is one that I ask of myself constantly in my own relentless pursuit of self-improvement and growth. Does this drive and this desire to become the best person I can be, emerge from a place of genuine and healthy aspiration? Or does it emerge from a place of not-enoughness? And how then do we reconcile being enough with wanting to learn, improve, and grow?
It is this precise question that was asked of Australian leadership, wellbeing and mindset coaching guru, Ben Crowe. His response is reproduced verbatim below:
“To explore this further, let's consider the Fixed Mindset vs. the Growth Mindset; two mindsets made famous by psychologist Carol Dweck.
Put simply, someone operating from more of a Fixed Mindset will view intelligence, ability and talent as inherently unchangeable. That is to say, we’re either born a maths genius, a musical prodigy, an exceptional athlete, an innovative leader… Or we’re not.
Here, we give ourselves very little (if any) permission to struggle with something new or challenging, and our sense of ‘enoughness’ becomes dependent on achievement. It’s a heavy burden to bear, especially considering that we’re all beginners at just about everything at some point.
By contrast, someone with a Growth Mindset will see intelligence, capability and talent as changeable. This empowering perspective welcomes challenge, feedback, and putting in the effort. Here, setbacks are still tough, but they’re accepted as a necessary part of the learning journey - not proof that we aren’t enough, or worthy of having a go.
With a Growth Mindset, the leap out of our comfort zone can still be uncomfortable (it almost always is!) but our sense of self is no longer tied to a result, giving us the freedom to experiment and fail forward.
‘Being enough’ means we believe our self-worth is unconditional, and not predicated by having to do or achieve something. From this foundation, we can build courage to go after our goals and dreams, knowing our self-worth is not attached to an end result.
Supported by a Growth Mindset, ‘being enough’ and ‘wanting to learn and grow’ can co-exist, and help us to find more meaning and fulfilment in our lives!
Remember, you are enough - exactly as you are right now. The desire to learn and improve is therefore an opportunity. To collect new life experiences, to ride the highs and the lows, and explore what it means to be human! It’s the opportunity for adventure, where we learn more about who we are and what really matters to us.
So, until next time, we’ll leave you with one of our favourite Courage Mantras: I am enough… And I’m not done yet.”
Our School Vision Statement is: “Inspired by Christ, we are a community of lifelong learners becoming the people that God created us to be.”
Perhaps the greatest way to reconcile the tensions of this topic rests in this vision, rests in Christ, and rests in the Gospel. The Gospel message is clear: God loves us just as we are, and yet calls us to ever greater growth in Christ, with Christ, and through Christ. None of us are finished, final, and perfected product. Growth and learning is a lifelong journey that Jesus walks with us, continually shaping and moulding us into the person that God is calling us to be.
To rest in Christ is to know you are enough, to live in Christ is to move out into the world with a growth mindset.
Mr Casimir Douglas
Monday 7th October, 2024
SALUTATION
Grace to you and peace.
THANK YOU
I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the parent community for your wonderful support, sensitivity, and care in the first week of Term 4. Myself and the staff have been flooded with messages of support, phone calls for wellbeing checks, and reaching out to explore how we can best work together to support the most important people in the school community: our students.
I continue to be blown away by the positivity, togetherness, and resilience of the St Thomas More's Catholic School community. And whilst the past two weeks have certainly presented challenges, it is an honour and privilege to lead this community.
'EMPOWER PRACTICE' - ALL SYSTEM PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAY
This Monday (14th October), Catholic Education Tasmania held an professional learning day, 'Empower Practice', for all teachers and teacher assistants focused on the Science of Learning and the INSIGHT initiative. The sessions were live streamed to school sites throughout the State, and featured a combination of live and pre-recorded learning opportunities, created to support the diverse stages of SoL knowledge-build, reflection, growth and professional practice across our system.
The professional learning boasted a impressive line-up of educational experts and thought leaders on direct and explicit instruction including: Tom Sherrington, Dr Sam Calder, Anna Taylor, Dr Anna Desjardins, Laura Glisson, Tash Williams, and Dr Lorraine Hammond.
All of our teachers and teacher assistants attended the event at St Thomas More's Catholic School in Josephite Hall, the gift of this day for the pedagogical development of our staff is invaluable to one of our key goals from the Learning Domain of our 2024 Annual Priorities:
"To support Catholic Education Tasmania’s INSIGHT initiative; our vision for the 2024 school year is that the principles of evidence-based high impact teaching practice will be implemented and evident in every class, every day."
I wish to thank Catholic Education Tasmania for their leadership of this professional learning experience, our staff for their positive engagement in this learning opportunity, and to the families of our school for making alternate arrangements for the care of their children to make this day viable for our system.
WONDERFUL WALKING!
For the month of October, the school community has focused on the Gospel value of JUSTICE. Our Gospel Values: Head, Heart & Hands Framework, reminds our students that to show the value of JUSTICE is to be helpful, be fair, and be caring.
At the Tuesday morning Prayer Assembly this week, I spoke to the students about how we can live the Gospel Value of JUSTICE in our school community. The students were also able to contribute a range of different ways we can be helpful, fair and caring, including: being the first person to offer help, holding the door open for adults, greeting teachers and peers with a smile and by using their name, and by supporting other students with their learning in the classroom. These are such simple, but wonderful examples. I also shared with the students another very simple way, we can live the Gospel Value of JUSTICE... just by walking!
I discussed the with the students, the idea of Wonderful Walking. This is how we move along the pathways at our school during breaktimes, class times, and even before and after school: eyes up, big smile, walk tall, safe body, and to the left of the walkway.
The School Captains were able to role model for the students examples of wonderful walking, and not so wonderful walking! And the students were easily able to identify the difference.
FAREWELL, MR FARRAN!
Mr Jacob Farran has been offered and has accepted a full-time ongoing teaching position at Summerdale Primary School in Prospect commencing in 2025. Please join me in congratulating Mr Farran on his appointment and wishing him all the best for the opportunity ahead of him.
It is, of course, bittersweet news for our community, and whilst we are pleased for Mr Farran, his positive impact on the life of the school for the past twelve months will be missed! I wish to express my sincere appreciation for Mr Farran for his wonderful contribution to the life of St Thomas More's Catholic School in 2024, and wish him all the best with his future endeavours in education.
2025 TEACHING STAFF
Following a robust and thorough recruitment process, with the support of Catholic Education Tasmania, we have finalised the appointments for teaching positions for St Thomas More's Catholic School for the 2025 school year. Therefore, please find below the teaching staff and their assignments for the 2025 school year.
| CLASS TEACHERS | ||
| Staffing | Class/Role | Teacher |
|
Kinder
|
More | Mrs Kerrin Edwards |
| Thomas | Mrs Jacquie Wood | |
|
Prep
|
More | Mrs Emilie Carr |
|
Thomas
|
Mrs Jessica Scharapow | |
| Mrs Tracey Kidd (Wed) | ||
|
Grade 1/2
|
More
|
Ms Kate Nichols |
| Mrs Kerrin Edwards (Tues PM) | ||
| Saint | Mrs Leah Wheeler | |
|
Thomas
|
Mrs Belinda Taylor (Mon, Tue, Fri) | |
| Mrs Rachael Foot (Wed, Thu) | ||
|
Grade 3/4
|
More
|
Mrs Christine Flynn (Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri) |
| Mrs Cassie O'Neill (Thu) | ||
|
Saint
|
Mrs Danielle Hodgetts | |
| Mr Nick Stacey (Wed) | ||
| Thomas | Ms Hayley Johns | |
|
Grade 5/6
|
More | Ms Jessica McLauchlan |
| Saint | Mr Julian Davie | |
|
Thomas
|
Mrs Jacky Hartley | |
| Mrs Cassie O'Neill (Fri) | ||
| SPECIALIST TEACHERS | |
| Digital Technologies Teacher | Ms Rebecca Thomas (Wed) |
| Drama & Art Teacher | Mrs Angela Edwards (Wed & Thu) |
| Science Teacher | Mrs Therese Wahl (Thu & Fri) |
| Music Teacher | Mrs Natalie Zegveld (Wed & Fri) |
| PE Teacher | Mr Nick Stacey (Mon, Thur & Fri) |
| Set Up for Success Teacher | Mrs Kerrin Edwards (Tues AM) |
| SUPPORT TEACHERS | |
| EY Support Teacher & Literacy Leader | Mrs Tracey Kidd |
| 3/4 Support Teacher | Mrs Julie Love (Mon-Wed) |
| 5/6 Support Teacher | Mrs Aimee Rooney (Mon-Thur) |
| Numeracy Leader | Ms Kate Nichols (Tues PM) |
| LEADERSHIP TEAM | |
| Instructional Leader: Religious Education | Mrs Belinda Taylor (Wed & Thu) |
|
Student Support Coordinators
|
Mrs Gemma Stephens |
| Mrs Julie Love (Thur) | |
|
Team Leaders
|
Early Years: Mrs Jessica Scharapow (Wed) |
| Primary: Mrs Danielle Hodgetts (Wed) | |
| Deputy Principal | Ms Allison Cornish |
| Principal | Mr Casimir Douglas |
The school will also soon commence a recruitment process for Teacher Assistant positions to be filled for next year, and when the appointments have been finalised, these will be communicated to the school community along with the assignments for all ancillary staff.
PARENT INFORMATION EVENING - CLEARING THE AIR (VAPING)
The five Catholic Primary Schools in Launceston have banded together to pool the funding from the Parent Engagement Grants provided by the Tasmania Catholic Schools Parent Council, to present a parent information evening with a family education focus on vaping by the Not Even Once School Projects Team.
The evening is being held at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School next Wednesday 23rd October at 6:30pm in the Grade 6 classroom, and is for parents of Grade 5 and Grade 6 students only.
Speaking from my recent experience as a Deputy Principal in the secondary school space, this was an emerging and dangerous reality for our young people. Now, a mere 30 months later, this behaviour and drug is rampant in youth culture.
Do not be naive. This will impact every child who enters into the murky waters of adolesence in some way shape or form over the next decade, and potentially beyond. My mantra in all decision-making processes in education is: the best information equals the best outcome. The purpose of the evening is to arm yourselves and your child with the information and strategies your need to stay safe and make positive decisions.
Please use the following link to RSVP, and read the flyer below for further information: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCqFvwaavdp8FVwLxk5ag7VUVaEqMpAxdmPqjpQe5UfAumUw/viewform
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
Please see attached letter regarding Updated Enrolment Forms/Terms of Enrolment. Please note this is for information only and no action is required.
|
Awarded by |
To |
For |
|
Mr Davie |
Eva Lewis |
Eva is a hardworking and conscientious student who consistently produces high-quality work. She approaches every task with dedication and care, always striving to do her best. |
|
Mr Davie |
Campbell Brown |
Campbell is trying his best to engage in learning tasks. He is becoming more involved in class activities and consistently contributes in group situations. |
|
Mrs Scharapow |
Charlie Bissett |
for your bravery and perseverance when taking on challenges with your learning. |
|
Mrs Scharapow |
Harvey Claxton |
for being a kind and welcoming student in our class. |
|
Mrs Chugg |
Millie-Mae O’Mahony |
For consistently taking great pride in the presentation of her written work. |
|
Mrs Chugg |
Elliot Strochnetter-Keefe |
For a positive start to the term and his contribution to class discussions. |
|
Mrs Carr |
Braxton Bonner |
For his excellent efforts in our writing time. Braxton you are working so hard on sounding out your words and making your sentences interesting. Well done! |
|
Mrs Carr |
Eve Crosswell |
For being such a kind and inclusive friend. Thank you for showing respect and empathy to your peers Eve. |
|
Mrs Hartley |
Elijah Sullivan |
In recognition of his focused start to the term. Elijah has used the opportunity to connect his passions with our class topics, resulting in increased motivation and engagement in his learning. |
|
Mrs Hartley |
Rubi Butwell |
For her ability to listen to and thoughtfully incorporate feedback to enhance the quality of her work. Rubi consistently demonstrates a commitment to growth and improvement in her learning. |
|
Mrs Hartley |
Oliver Terry |
For his positive approach to the term. Oliver’s recent work in class reflects his ability to engage, focus, and organise when connecting his learning to real-world projects. |
|
Ms Flynn |
Matilda Bowman |
For being creative and showing attention to detail in her writing. Keep up the wonderful work Matilda. |
|
Ms Flynn |
Lenny Ralph |
For working wonderfully in groups and staying focused on your learning. Well done Lenny |
|
Ms Flynn |
William Finlay |
For your attention to detail in your research and learning in class. Keep up the great work William |
|
Mrs Hartley |
Jarvis Attard |
A great friend to everyone, Jarvis makes our classroom a better place with his calm demeanour and subtle sense of humour. His willingness to seek feedback and apply it shows his growth and commitment to his learning. |
|
Mrs Wheeler |
Sebastian Swanson |
For exemplary behaviour at school, demonstrating kindness and consistently following school rules. His positive conduct sets a commendable example for his peers. |
|
Mrs Wheeler |
Paxton Walker |
For always having a smile on his face and trying everything to the best of his ability. Your positive attitude brightens our classroom every day. |
|
Ms Nichols |
Jack Eadie |
For constantly going out of his way to help others in our class. Thanks for everything, Jack! |
|
Ms Nichols |
Thomas Bowman |
For his awesome effort in Rocket Maths. Keep up the great work, Thomas |
|
Ms Nichols |
Freya Attard |
For being a considerate, helpful, and respectful member of our class. Amazing work, Freya! |
|
Mrs Hodgetts |
Lillian Carey |
For her positive approach and eagerness towards her spelling mastery lessons. Well done Lillian! |
|
Mrs Hodgetts |
Claire Bassett |
Claire has shown maturity within classroom situations and has a strong work ethic and determination to complete set tasks. Keep up the great work Claire! |
|
Mrs Hodgetts |
Douglas Anderson |
For his perseverance and dedication towards improving his handwriting. Well done Douglas! |
|
Miss McLauchlan |
Orlando Massey |
Orlando has shown a settled and mature approach to the start of this school term. Keep up the great effort and continue growing in both your work and attitude! |
|
Miss McLauchlan |
Lillian Watchorn |
Lillian’s openness to taking onboard feedback and her commitment to applying it demonstrates her growth mindset towards her learning. |
|
Miss McLauchlan |
Harrison Geale |
For his positive attitude and improved engagement in class discussions and activities |
|
Mrs Taylor |
Jack Spicer |
For the hard work you have put in this week. It has been enjoyable to share in your successes. Keep up the great work Jack! |
|
Mrs Taylor |
Ollie George |
For a very settled week. It is great to see you approaching your learning in a responsible and calm way. You’ve got this, Ollie! |
Congratulations to Felix Young, Claire Hodgetts, Charlotte Turner, William Coppleman and Lily Morris who have received 25 St Thomas More's sticker rewards for their positive contributions to our school.
Esk Valley Orienteering Club is hosting Sprint into Spring, a series of six events to explore around Launceston in a whole new way! Held on consecutive Wednesdays you can start any time between 4 and 6pm. Perfect for after school or even work! Equipment is provided, you just need comfortable shoes to walk or run in.
The locations are as follows:
16th October - Heritage Forest
23rd October – Brooks High School
30th October – Punchbowl Reserve
6th November – St Patricks College
13th November – West Launceston Primary School
20th November – Windsor Community Precinct Riverside
Your first event is free to try. Entry is $12 per event for adults, and $6 for kids. There are discounts for families, entering the whole series, or for club members.
Find out more on the Esk Valley Orienteering Club Facebook page.
