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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.
GO AND INVITE EVERYONE TO THE BANQUET
Pronounced by Pope Francis in Portugal during World Youth Day 2023, the phrase “Todos, todos, todos…” (everyone, everyone, everyone…) has resonated in the hearts of many.
Building on this inclusive message, Pope Francis has recently published his World Mission Sunday message with a key theme from Matthew 22:09 of “Go and invite everyone to the banquet".
This message of inclusion raises the question of what unites us all and presents a valuable opportunity for growth and unity, as it requires everyone to open their hearts and minds to each other. Guided by the Gospel, we can find answers to creating ways of inclusion and dialogue.
The Gospel is made to gather and not divide, to invite and not to exclude. This is the message Pope Francis shares, reminding everyone of the importance of sharing the Gospel and, above all, reaching out to all by inviting them to be part of the celebration we call “life,” as we all have a seat at the table.
The Gospel has transferable values that help create bridges of solidarity, for everyone, everywhere. From one of the smallest Catholic Churches in the world, Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, the Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, defines the Gospel values as “universal and open to all cultures and traditions.”
Amongst the newest Catholic communities, the Church in Mongolia embodies the Gospel in action. The growth of the local church community is thanks to the dedication of the missionaries who have dedicated their lives to service and continuously provide essential social services to Mongolian society.
Working hand-in-hand with local communities around the world, Catholic Mission is also walking alongside the Mongolian Church to further develop life-changing projects on the ground and provide a helping hand to our brothers and sisters most in need.
Catholic Mission is responding to Pope Francis' call to create a more just world, with the principle of inclusion and unity at its core. Inspired by the theme, “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (Mt 22:9), we invite you to join us on this journey and to become actors of change.
“Let us not forget that every Christian is called to take part in this universal mission by offering his or her own witness to the Gospel in every context,” highlighted Pope Francis in the 2024 World Mission Sunday message.
In our Catholic school community, where communion is at the centre of our faith, together, let's extend the invitation to the banquet far and wide, building bridges of solidarity and unity.
SALUTATION
Grace to you and peace.
FAREWELL, MRS MORGAN!
Please join me in extending best wishes to Mrs Denise Morgan who is headed into retirement at the end of the 2024 school year following her exemplary contribution to Catholic education in Tasmania throughout the years.
Mrs Morgan joined St Thomas More's Catholic School in 1993 and has enjoyed an incredible thirty-two year teaching tenure in our community. Mrs Morgan's kindness, generosity, and honesty are valued by her colleagues and students alike, as are her high expectations for student achievement and behaviour. But it will be Mrs Morgan's laughter and stories that I will miss the most.
It is an impossible task to distill and encompass the value of one's life's work in a single Newsletter item. It is folly to try. Therefore, I finish by thanking Mrs Morgan professionally for all the gifts she has brought to St Thomas More's Catholic School, and personally for her kind and sincere support of me these past three years.
Mrs Morgan, we wish you all the peace, joy, and adventure that retirement brings, and insist that the doors of our school are always open to you. This school will continue to be a home for you, as you have made it home for so many; staff and students alike.
CATHOLIC MISSION MONTH
October is Mission Month, a time to focus on spreading the Good News and supporting mission work. This year’s Catholic Mission theme, “Go and invite everyone to the banquet," reminds us to welcome others, especially those in need, just as God invites all into His love. It calls us to live our faith through hospitality, compassion, and generosity.
On Tuesday 22nd October, we gathered as a whole school community to celebrate our Mission Mass with Fr Jessie in Sacred Heart Church at our school.
Then on Wednesday 23rd October, our Junior Joeys and students from other schools gathered together to share in the banquet and celebrate Mass with Fr Jessie and Deacon Michael at Church of Apostles.
Afterwards we gathered for some activities including making our own ‘sock’ soccer balls, as we build toward our Crazy Sock Day and Soccer Shootout for next week’s Catholic Mission Month celebrations!
Thank you very much to Mrs Belinda Taylor for her continued wisdom and guidance of our school in leading the faith life of our community.
KINDER EXCURSION TO HAGLEY FARM SCHOOL
What an adventure our Kinder students had on their excursion to Hagley Farm School this Monday (21st October)!
From cuddling chickens, feeding ducks, and patting friendly cows, to visiting sheep, chatting with alpacas, and even driving tractors—our little learners had a hands-on experience of farm life that they’ll never forget! Indeed, the students were able to meet the Saint the alpaca, who was born in presence of our Prep students last term. And Hagley Farm School even named the young and spritely alpaca after our school!
The smiles and excitement say it all—our students got to see where their food comes from, learn about caring for animals, and discover the wonders of agriculture. A huge thank you to Hagley Farm School for such a memorable day!
I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to Mrs Wood and Mrs Edwards for their leadership and organisation of the day, and to all the parent volunteers who kindly committed their time to support this excursion experience for our students.
WORLD TEACHERS' DAY
Today is World Teachers' Day!
We held a special World Teacher's
To celebrate the occasion, and to create awareness of the day for our students, all students were invited to wear any hat of their choice for the day. There were an impressive array of hats on display, from caps bearing the emblem of favourite sporting teams, to extravagant and colourful headwear choices that would impress even Hamilton (of Hamilton's Hats fame).
Whilst wearing their own hat was just one way for our students to express their gratitude for their teacher, the best way they did this today was by simply approaching their teacher and say, "Thank you!"
WELCOME, JESSICA OWEN! - NEW CATHOLIC CARE SCHOOL COUNSELLOR
I am pleased to announce that Catholic Care have completed their recruitment process, and that Mrs Jessica Owen has been appointed to the role of School Counsellor for St Thomas More's Catholic School. Please find below a brief introduction that Jessica has passed on to me to share with the school community:
My name is Jessica Owen, I'm married with 4 children and have lived in the Launceston area my whole life. I graduated as a Social Worker 10years ago and since that time have worked holistically with families across many regions in the north of the state, supporting both parents and children to meet their goals. I'm excited to be moving into the position of School Counsellor at St Thomas More's and look forward to working with the school community to support the students and families.
Jessica will commence her role at the school on Tuesday 5th November (Term 4 - Week 4), and spend her first few days meeting key staff and acclimatising to the new environment before commencing her client load shortly thereafter.
Please join me in congratulating Jessica on her appointment. I have no doubt she will enjoy the welcome, support and warmth customary of St Thomas More's Catholic School.
GRADE 5/6 NORTHERN SCHOOLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT!
This weekend, St Thomas More's Catholic School will take over the courts of Elphin Sports Centre, St Patrick's College, Newstead College, and Launceston College, and flood the venues in blue as we compete in the Basketball Tasmania's Grade 5/6 Northern Schools Basketball Tournament.
We have five teams with over 40 students (nearly half our entire Grade 5/6 cohort) participating in the tournament! Thank you very much to Mrs Natalie Zegveld and Mr Julian Davie for their leadership and organisation of this opportunity for our students. And a special thank you to volunteer coaches and managers that have generously given their time, not only to support the students this weekend, but also for all the training sessions in the lead up to these games.
I look forward to visiting and spectating many of the games over the weekend, and will leave you with the wise words shared by Mr Davie in the lead up to this event:
"[this is]... a fantastic opportunity [for our students] to represent our school and engage in a fun, competitive experience that fosters teamwork and school spirit. Go STM!"
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 find attached the 2025 Schedule of Fees, Payment Arrangement Form, Concession Card Discount Form & Direct Debit Form.
Families will be issued with an annual invoice at the commencement of the 2025 school year. This invoice is due and payable in full 30 days after the date of issue. If you are unable to provide payment in full within 30 days of the invoice date, and would like to enter into a payment arrangement with the school I have attached the form to be completed & returned to the school office by 29th November 2024 in preparation for 2025 billing.
The payment arrangement form only needs to be completed if you:
- Didn't complete one for the 2024 school year
- Would like to change your existing payment arrangement
- Have additional children starting in 2025
Any payment arrangement entered into with the school for 2024 will carry over to 2025 (this excludes any arrears).
The schedule of fees includes a section for families wishing to claim the family discount in 2025. This form also needs to be returned by 29th November 2024 to be eligible for the family discount.
If you have any questions please contact the office or email: stm.accounts@catholic.tas.edu.au
Congratulations to Lenny Ralph who has received 25 St Thomas More's sticker rewards for his positive contributions to our school.
On Thursday our STM students enjoyed a performance from The Wellbeing Show. The Wellbeing Show is an interactive performance which aims to promote the attitudes and behaviours that each student needs to acquire in order to be successful academically, in social interactions with others, and to generally experience happiness and wellbeing within themselves.
Simone Ross
School Chaplain/Teacher Assistant - Wellbeing & Diversity.
