29 June 2017

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Last week the School celebrated the Feast Day of St Thomas More; the Saint our school was named after by the Sisters of St Joseph. A lovely mass followed by cupcakes and a staff morning tea, with some extra play time, cementing the day as a true feast day. Saint Thomas More (1478 – 1535) said: “The things that we pray for, good Lord, Give us the grace to work for”. The School SRC says this short prayer at their meetings with me and their focus for the school for the next term is that of cleaning up the rubbish in our school. Shamefully it is mostly dropped by our students. The SRC have prayed that, like St Thomas More, they can enact by doing the things that they are praying for. St Thomas More faithfully followed the Catholic Church and was prepared to challenge his King, Henry VIII, and to ultimately be martyred for the Church. We can but admire such faith. Our SRC are starting small in their faith, but most importantly they are prepared to work with the students to ensure we have a clean environment in which to learn and play. Their slogan will be reminding students to “pick it up and use the bin”.

You are all cordially invited to attend our parent-teacher interviews being held in Week 2 next term. A letter outlining the on-line booking system for this will be enclosed with your child’s report on Wednesday 5 July.

I wish you and your children a restful break.

Carol Seagar
Principal

Rock and Roll Night

FRIDAY 28 JULY

6 – 8pm
St Ailbes Hall, Margaret St
$10 entry and raffles available
BYO drinks and nibbles
Students have been learning dances for this night. A great community event.

Absentees

Please ensure all emails/ messages concerning student attendance are sent to the office.

Change of Details

PLEASE advise the school when you change jobs, addresses, phone numbers – this is really important so we can contact you when your child is ill or injured.

Before School

A reminder that students who arrive at school before 8:30 must gather in the Piazza and wait quietly until the 8:30 bell goes. There is no active supervision at this time.

School Crossings and Carpark

Please ensure that you always use the school crossings when picking up or dropping off children at school. Not only does this maximise your and your child’s safety, but it also sets an excellent example for other students at the school. Thank you all in advance for your cooperation in this matter.

There was another near miss on Campbell St crossing this week where a mother from our school with a baby in a pram were almost run down by a fellow mother. Please keep your eyes on the road, not on potential carparks.

Parents and students are not to walk through the staff carpark – as a matter of safety.

Lunch Boxes

Thank you to parents who are providing sustaining and nourishing food for their children in order to help with classroom learning.

Nude Food Day

The SRC is requesting that the school reinstate “Nude Food Tuesday” starting next term. This involves bringing food to school that has minimal or no wrapping in order to help our school be a cleaner environment.

Important Health Request

Dear Parents

You may be aware that Pippa Harmey, a student in Kinder this year, Is receiving treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (a type of cancer) which puts her at risk if she is exposed to Chicken Pox, Shingles or Measles. Please inform the school office as soon as possible if you or your children or friends come into contact or become ill with any of the above.

Pippa's parents, Yvette and Dave have asked for our help in this very important matter.

This is especially important for all families in our school.

This is a simple but very important way we can help Pippa on her journey towards wellness.

Thank you in anticipation of your support.

Community Care Meals

Family Mass

It's Family Mass time! If you can help with readings for this Saturday's Mass please email Jacquie Wood – jacquie.wood@catholic.tas.edu.au.

2017 Sacramental Calendar

Sacramental Preparation

DATE CLAIMER FOR JOHN WALLIS MEMORIAL LECTURE 2017

“The Word of God in the life of the Church” given by Fr Frank Moloney SDB

Thursday, September 21st 2017, 7.00pm, GYC Hobart Campus

Book the date! Don’t miss out!

P & F

This year’s committee members are: President – Jacqui Cross; Finance Officer – Kylie Smart; Secretary – Kirsty Pedder.

Fair Coordinators; Belinda Lehner and Belinda Anderson

Dates of meetings: Thurs 6 July; Wed 16 Aug; Wed 13 Sept; Tues 17 Oct; Wed 15 Nov.

Birth to 4 Program at St Thomas More’s

In the Josephite Hall 9 -10:30 every Tuesday during term time. All parents and children 4 and under are most welcome. Looking forward to seeing you.

WWVP Card

Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers are reminded that if they wish to do Parent Help with their children they must have a current WWVP card which has been copied and held on file at the office.

How to apply for a WWVP Check & Number

1. Complete the online application form.
2. Print the “Application Receipt” which is generated when the application has been completed in full.
3. Take the “Application Receipt” (and your 100 point check to confirm identity) to a Service Tas Shop and pay the fee.
4. Take your WWVP card to the school office where your number will be recorded. If you are not recorded in the office you will not be able to do parent help, camp, etc.

FAIR DATE CHANGE

UPCOMING EVENTS

THURSDAY 6 JULY – P & F MEETING
FRIDAY 7 JULY – END OF TERM 2
MONDAY 24 JULY – TERM 3 STARTS
FRIDAY 28 JULY – ROCK AND ROLL NIGHT
MONDAY 11 SEPT – BAND SOIREE
TUESDAY 19 SEPT – STRINGS SOIREE
FRIDAY 29 SEPT – COLOURS DAY; END OF TERM 3
TUESDAY 17 OCT – TERM 4 STARTS
FRIDAY 17 NOV – SCHOOL FAIR

Before School Care

Catholicare is now providing Before School Care for St Thomas More's School children at the Old Presbytery.

Outside School News

Children’s Award winning Stories

Musselroe Bay by Hervee Sullivan Arkless

My favourite place, Musselroe Bay, is situated in the North East of Tasmania. The sky at night is the colour of violets and forget-me-nots, the stars glisten like diamonds. The greenery is the colour of stalks on newly blossoming flowers. The weather is often sunny with a slight breeze, which is convenient for fabulous fun on the sandy beaches.

There are numerous beaches because Musselroe Bay is on a tip of Tasmania. There is a big beach, which has sparkling aqua water, which is clear as glass on sunny days. Mum’s favourite beach is quite remote and can only be accessed b boat or swimming.

There is lots of adorable wildlife at Musselroe Bay, including colourful birds, scaly blue-tongue lizards and bouncy wallabies. Musselroe Bay is famous for the largest kangaroo in Tasmania – the Forrester Kangaroo. There are also lots of slithery snakes.

The shack is an old farmhouse and has Baltic pine walls and ceilings. It has three lovely bedrooms and a kitchen/dining area. I like to sit outside on the deck and listen to the birds (and my portable radio). Next to the house is a big boat shed.

I like to climb on the jagged rocks and the waves look so awesome as they crash onto the eroded rocks. My brother built a rock wall in the water to trap fish!

Musselroe Bay has just become a release site for the Tasmanian Devil. These devils have been bred in captivity on Maria Island and will now be introduced to the existing wild population. Everyone has to remember to drive slowly.

Musselroe Bay is on the edge of Mount William National Park. I am very lucky to go there for my summer holidays!

The Dramatic Day by Eliza Duigan

One of my favourite things to do outside of school is drama and I sometimes do the Launceston Competitions.

One day I was at the theatre ready to do my poem. The good thing was that I was last so I got to see all my competition. Before I could think to myself that I was obviously going o win with my awesome poem, they called me up to go to the waiting room. I was not nervous at all.

The bell went to go on. I proudly walked onto the X on the stage (the two pieces of duct tape in the middle of the stage). I said the name of my poem, “The Teacher Took my Ipod” by Ken Nesbitt. I waited three seconds and in those three seconds I thought how that was going to be the best day of my life.

I said all of the poem (well at least up to the third line) and then I stopped. I had either forgotten my poem or I really needed to go to the toilet. I felt a wet patch in my pants. That was when I knew that I really needed to go to the toilet!!

I tried to run off the stage but I slipped in the puddle and the next thing I knew I was lying in a wet puddle on the floor. I tried to think of what I could do but as I was thinking a helper from side stage came rushing towards me to help me up, but she slipped in the puddle too.

There were three long seconds that I was lying on the ground drenched in warm and slippery liquid and in those three seconds I though of how that day was going to be the worst day of my life!

As I was walking back to the car everybody was looking at me. I wasn’t sure if they were looking at me because they knew that I was the girl who wet herself on stage, or that every step I took there was a squelching sound coming from my shoe.

When we got back home my mum said that “winning is not everything”. I said, “Wow mum that is sooo helpful”.

GALLERY

Chess Competition

Robyn Eltringham working with children in the school garden

Class Liturgy

Children using their imagination with loose parts play

A Maths class with Miss O’Neill

All Schools Cross Country. Josie Chambers was 3rd in her age group.

FEAST DAY

The Kinders learnt about St Thomas More last week through a game of Pass-the-Parcel that revealed some facts about our Patron Saint. Here is what one child remembered and told his mum:

• St Thomas More had a ring (which was gold around it and blue on top) because he was married to his wife. He had a necklace too. His wife died.
• He's a funny dad and his kids loved him.
• Henry is the bad king. St Thomas More's job was to help the king. He lived in England for a very long time and now he's dead. We've got a statue now.
• He had a pet monkey.
• And the last thing, he prayed to God.

He talked a lot about pass-the-parcel and was remembering the St Thomas More facts that each child was uncovering. He said he got the ‘monkey fact’, Eliska had ‘pray to God’ and Tilly had the ‘funny dad fact’.

Jed told me I have to add another fact! He forgot to say that St Thomas More loved to read books.