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- Reflection
- Principal's Message
- STM Awards
- Reconciliation Faith Sharing
- Launceston Competitions - Program
- School Photos, Monday May 10th 2021
- Student Absences
- Kinder Enrolments for 2022 are closing soon
- New in the parent Library
- Emergency Practice
- Proposed timetable change to bus Route 811AM
- Parish Bulletin
- eSafety's guide to parental controls - live webinar
- Community Notices
Today we reflect on the way salvation brings an ecclesial community into being. This community is joined to Jesus as branches are part of the vine. It is a multi-faceted community, devoted to good works and to prayer.
The image of the vine and the branches is an intimate characterisation of the community of believers who share the same divine life. This community thrives on Christ’s resurrected life that surges through all of its members. The early church was a multi-ethnic community. It included inhabitants from Jerusalem, Judea, Galilee, Samaria and even Damascus. Some of these people were firmly rooted in Jewish customs, others were more Greek in their culture. It was the fulfilment of the promises made so often in the past, that the saving power of God would reach the whole world.
Our own ecclesial community of believers is also multi-ethnic. Where formerly parishes or liturgical assemblies might be made up of people of only one ethnic identity or economic status, today there is much greater diversity and rapid change of character. Like the early Christians, we too are often suspicious of newcomers. In the face of all of this variety, we are called to open our hearts to the various manifestations of God’s power and to fashion a community that gives glory to God. Today’s readings remind us that we demonstrate our love for God and for each other in the way we live. Joined to Christ as branches are part of the vine, we too are enlivened and thereby bear fruit in abundance.
© Dianne Bergant CSA
Dear Families,
Welcome back to Term 2, we have had a great start this week, the children have settled well back into school routine. It is great to see everyone back.
I am pleased to inform you that the fort is now open for our students. We are also opening back up our school grounds for families to use after school hours. I ask that if you wish to visit, please encourage your children to use the equipment safety and no dogs to be brought on to the school grounds.
As of next week, parents and visitors over the age of 16 attending our school, including Joey’s, are required to check in using the Check In Tas App. We have QR codes available around the school to assist making this a simple process. We still require all visitors to sign into our system at our school office as well. If visitors do not have access to the App, they must report to our office where we will check you in manually. I thank you in advance for your support with this.
I wish to congratulate Cohen, Logan,Quinn and Dex who represented Tasmania in the National Futsal Championships in Sydney over the Easter break. Dex was selected for the Australia Futsal Allstars and Cohen enjoyed the tournament, his team coming 5th and Logan and Quinn had a great time. Well done boys on your achievements.
On Wednesday I enjoyed an evening of theatre at Princess Theatre, viewing St Patrick’s College’s performance of Disney’s High School Musical. It was a fantastic effort by all the students and staff involved and a very enjoyable show. It was also great to see many former St Thomas More’s students in the cast. Today our Grade 5/6 students had the opportunity to enjoy the show too.
On Sunday our Captains represented St Thomas More’s at the Launceston Cenotaph for ANZAC Day. It was a moving service, and our Captains did us proud. We commemorated ANZAC Day as a school on Monday morning.
You may have seen in recent weeks in the media our Federal Government released a new program, Good Society, for schools to adopt. Although the program has some great elements, I wish to share that the values the program promotes are already taught and instilled in our children here at St Thomas More’s. Our school rules are “Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be a Learner,” and our school values are Respect, Justice, Empathy, Dignity and Integrity.
Our rules and values are not just words, we expect our whole community to adopt them and to live them, and we do specifically teach them to our students. Our rules are underwritten by faith-based quotes, for “Be Respectful,” this is “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” (quote by Jesus in the Gospel). We as Catholics believe in the dignity and respect of all people as we are all created in the image and likeness of God. We would have a great society if this was adopted by everyone!
God Bless,
Shayne Kidd
PRINCIPAL
Congratulations to the following students who have received awards today: 2021 03 19 Student Awards:
Launceston Competitions - Program
We have received the progamme schedule for the Launceston Competitions. The timing is slightly different to how we thought it would run, so please make yourself familiar with the program, and if you have any queries, please contact Angela Edwards via email: Angela.Edwards@catholic.tas.edu.au.
School Photos, Monday May 10th 2021
School photo's are being held this coming Monday, 10th May. Students in Grades 1-6 are to wear their green uniform.
Photographs can be ordered online via Compass by Sunday, 9th May. Please log in to Compass and order via the Photo Ordering option in the menu. Sibling photos are also ordered using this facility. For orders after this date, please contact MSP Photography directly.
Photo envelopes will not be sent home with students - if you are unable to access a computer and need to pay with cash, please contact the office to discuss.
All sibling photos will be taken before school from 8.30am. Students must present themselves to the photographers at the the Josephite Hall before school for the sibling photo to be taken.
All students will have their photograph taken on the day, regardless of whether an order is placed. For anyone requiring assistance with Compass, please contact the office on 03 6337 7200 or stm@catholic.tas.edu.au. For photo package enquiries, please contact MSP Photography directly on 03 6231 5880, or tasmania@msp.com.au.
If your child is absent from school, parents/caregives are requried to contact the school by using the Compass App, telephone (6337 7200), or email (stm@catholic.tas.edu.au) prior to 9.30am on the day of absence.
Please note the Absentee option on the SchoolZine (SZapp) is in the process of being phased out, and we ask you to familiarise yourself with the alternate notification options.
Please contact the office if you have any queries.
Kinder Enrolments for 2022 are closing soon
We have some great new additions to the parent library this term. Please feel free to come into the office and have a browse.
This term we will hold an unannounced emergency practice with staff and students, to test our response to a potential scenario that staff identify a
threat warranting the school go into lockdown (opposite to evacuation).
Like for fire evacuation drills, we recognised the worth to test this process. We have plans in place to make this practice as least disruptive as possible.
If you have queries you are welcome to call our Safety Officer Simon Natoli on 0400 105 476.
Proposed timetable change to bus Route 811AM
Metro are poposing a timetable change to bus Route 811am service which would impact students living in Blackstone Heights and attending St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary School.
Please refer to the attached communication from Metro.
Attached you will find our parish bulletin for the 5th Sunday of Easter Year B (1/2 May 2021).
We pray for all who continue to struggle with the ravages of new waves of COVID-19. In particular, we are mindful of our brothers and sisters in India, especially Fr Christopher Kasturi and the relatives, friends and associates of our parishioners. Sincerely in Christ,