ATHELTICS CARNIVAL

This Wednesday (15th October), our school community gathered at the St Leonard’s Athletics Track for our annual Athletics Carnival. The day was blessed with great spirit, and a sea of colour as our students competed in their House groups, cheered on their teammates, and celebrated one another’s achievements. The atmosphere was electric; every sprint, jump, and throw was met with waves of encouragement from peers, parents, and staff alike. It was a shining example of the positive culture and camaraderie that makes St Thomas More’s such a special community.

Individual athletic performances stood out throughout the day, with students striving for their personal bests and setting new benchmarks of excellence. Yet, it wasn’t only about individual efforts, the Houses came alive with chants, cheering, and unwavering support. The volume of encouragement from the sidelines truly lifted every competitor, and the smiles told the story of a day where sport and spirit were equally celebrated.

A highlight came in the much-anticipated House and community relays, culminating in the showdown between staff, Grade 6 students, and parents (thank you Jason Cassidy, Lara Gebka, Chris Massey & Brie de Virieux!). With pride on the line (and perhaps a little too much competitiveness from the staff team), the race quickly became a spectacle. Parents gave it their all, students ran with grit and determination, and staff… well, some looked like they had confused the 100 metres with a leisurely park run! After baton fumbles, questionable sprinting techniques, and a finish that had the crowd on their feet, the race came down to the final metres where Staff Team comprised of Mrs Chugg, Mr Saunders, Mrs Hartley & Mr Stacey claimed victory, glory, and bragging rights for the Staff!.

Of course, the carnival is about more than medals: it is about community. We are so grateful to everyone who made the day such a success. Thank you to all our staff for their tireless organisation and encouragement of students, to the parent volunteers for generously giving their time, to Mr Rik Bryan for the enormous amount of behind-the-scenes preparation, and to Mr Nick Stacey for his coordination and leadership of the event.

And now our students wait in eager anticipation of the announcement of the winning House, which will occur at our school gathering this coming Monday (20th October) morning in the Piazza!

GRADE 4 CAMP

This week, our Grade 4 students made history as the first group from St Thomas More’s to embark on their very own camp adventure! From Thursday 16th to Friday 17th October, the students travelled to Camp Banksia in Port Sorell for two days of fun, friendship and challenge — an experience designed to build independence, confidence and connection.

The camp began with team-building activities, reflection sessions and The Ultimate Quest through Port Sorell — a challenge that encouraged teamwork, curiosity and perseverance. As the day unfolded, students supported one another, laughed often and embraced every new experience. The evening included a prayer and gratitude reflection led by Mr Douglas, followed by a much-loved Teddy Bear Parade, where every camper proudly introduced their bedtime companion to the group before lights out.

Friday saw the group venture to Tasmazia, navigating the maze together before gathering for a final gratitude circle — a fitting end to two days filled with laughter, courage and connection. Throughout the experience, students embodied the key principles of The Resilience Project — gratitude, empathy and mindfulness — and the Making Jesus Real values of kindness, encouragement and joy.

A huge thank you to our Grade 3/4 teaching staff for their guidance and supervision, and to the students for their enthusiasm and positivity. As our first ever Grade 4 Camp, this was a special milestone for our school, and we look forward to building on this tradition for future classes.

REHEARSE THE POSITIVE SUPERHEROES!

Our Rehearse the Positive superhero capes were proudly passed on again at our Tuesday morning Prayer Assembly (14th October). Each week, these capes are passed to new students who have been shining examples of kindness, respect, and inclusion through their daily actions — the simple habits that make St Thomas More’s such a welcoming and positive community.

This week’s superhero cape recipients were:

• Isla Smith: (Grade 2 MacKilop) – for always being kind and caring towards others, including everyone in games, and spreading positivity through simple, thoughtful actions like sharing a smile.

• May Gill: (Grade 5, Chisholm) – for being friendly, kind, and a great listener who makes others feel happy and included — even sharing her pencil case with others!

• Charlie: (Grade 2, Tenisom) – chosen by Millie (Prep) for her kindness in including others in play across different grades and always greeting others by name.

? Congratulations to Isla, May, and Charlie! Each wore their cape proudly as champions of Rehearse the Positive, reminding us that greatness grows from small, consistent acts of kindness and respect.

‘APPLYING KNOWLEDGE’ – ALL SYSTEM PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAY

This Monday (13th October), Catholic Education Tasmania held a professional learning day, Applying Knowledge, for all teachers and teacher assistants focused on the Science of Learning and the INSIGHT initiative. The sessions were livestreamed to school sites throughout the State, and featured a combination of live and school-facilitated learning opportunities, designed to strengthen the capacity of educators in supporting students to transfer, apply, and demonstrate their understanding in deep learning activities.

The professional learning featured keynote sessions from internationally recognised thought leaders in evidence-based teaching practice: Dr Simon Breakspear and Dr Nathaniel Swain. These sessions challenged and inspired our staff to reflect on how knowledge is not only acquired but meaningfully applied in the classroom. The school-facilitated workshops, led by our Leadership Team, provided time for our teachers to collaborate on Mode B Planning, while our Teacher Assistants engaged in tailored professional learning through the CANVAS course.

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 2025 Annual Priorities:

“To support Catholic Education Tasmania’s INSIGHT initiative; our vision for the 2025 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.

To learn more about the pedagogical principles that underpin our educational approach, you may wish to watch the YouTube video below produced by author and speaker, Tom Sherrington, unpacking the Barak Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction.