2025 Term 2 - Week 2 - Newsletter

Prayer for Harmony Week

From our Principal

As our first official newsletter for Term 2, I’d like to welcome you all back. I hope that you all had an enjoyable and restful holiday.   

I’d like to thank the St Thomas More’s community for welcoming me to your school. I look forward to getting to know your wonderful community and supporting the staff and students this term. 

I know some initial information has been shared about me over the holidays, however I thought I might share a bit more about myself. I am currently the Principal of St Monica’s Oakey, and have been there since 2019. Prior to that, I was the Principal at St Joseph’s Millmerran where I lead the school from 2013 through to 2018. I have worked for Toowoomba Catholic Schools since 2005 and one of my earliest university pre-service placements was at St Thomas More’s with Mr Petzler and Mrs Rodgers in the early 2000s 

I’d like to thank all of our students and families who were able to attend the Toowoomba ANZAC Day service on Friday. All of our students conducted themselves well and represented the school with pride. Well done to Lliam and Christian who took part in the wreath Laying ceremony prior to the march. Thank you to Mrs Hancock for taking the time to co-ordinate the students for the march. We also thank Miss Berry and the Year 6 class who led us in our school ANZAC Day Liturgy. It was a very prayerful, respectful and reflective liturgy. It is important that we encourage our students to observe and commemorate these days as they will share the responsibility of remembering our service personnel’s commitment and sacrifice into the future.   

On Wednesday, the school was finally able to conduct the School Cross Country. We had perfect weather for it and the track was in pristine condition. This was my first day at St Thomas Mores’ and I was extremely impressed with the students’ sportsmanship, determination, and team spirit. Thank you to the staff for assisting with all the jobs and making the day such a success. Thanks to Mrs Hancock for her time in preparing the carnival. I’m glad that parents could make it out to see their children run and we thank you for adding to the atmosphere. Congratulations to those students who went on to compete at the Zone Cross Country Carnival today.  

Thanks for reading. 

God Bless,

Luke Barrett

Acting Principal

2025 School Priorities

At the commencement of every school year, the teaching staff gather to consider and develop priorities for the year. For 2025, the focus of our practices will centre on the following:

2025 Theme:

2025 School Goals:

Before School Supervision

Before school duty commences at 8:00am. Children who arrive at school before 8:00am are kindly asked to sit in the ‘Quad Area’ until teacher supervision commences at 8:00am.

Process for Late Arrival, Early Departure and Collection Areas:

This is a valuable opportunity to remind families of the requirements pertaining to late arrival to school and early departure from school. Our aim is to safely account for all students while minimising disruption to teaching for the staff and learning for the students.

Late Arrival

• a student is considered to have arrived late any time after the 8.30am bell on a school day
• all students arriving late must sign be signed in by a parent, family member or themselves. Children then transition to the classroom by themselves.

Early Departure

• a student is considered to have departed early any time before 2.55pm on a school day
• Parent/Guardian to call, email or present to the School Administration Office to inform School Administration Staff their child/children will be departing early and offer the reason for the early departure
• the School Administration Staff will contact and advise the Class Teacher of an early departure and request for the child/children to present to the School Administration Office at a prescribed time
• Parent/Guardian to collect child from School Administration Office and sign child out
• Parents/Guardians are not permitted to attend the classrooms and withdraw children directly
• Parents/Guardians are not permitted to visit the classrooms between the hours of 8:30am and 2:55pm unless invited to do so. This is to avoid disruption to teaching and learning. Should there be a need to visit a classroom or drop something off to a child/children, this can be arranged through the School Administration Office.

Collection Areas for Families (End of School Day)

As part of the afternoon end of school day collection of children, parents/guardians are always invited and encouraged to collect children within the confines of the school in places that do not disrupt teaching and learning.  In doing so, we respectfully ask families to wait in the following areas:

• Drop Off/Pick Up Area on South Street (outside the Prep collection area)
• The Quad Area (the collection of children in Years 1, 3 – 6)
• The seats outside of the Year 2 classrooms (Year 2 children).

Communication Protocols

St Thomas More’s Primary School recognises and respects the right of employees to disconnect from work and not respond to work-related electronic communications outside of designated hours. St Thomas More’s Primary School staff will reply to electronic communication within the hours of 8.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday. Where contact is made outside of this span of hours, employees will respond within two working days of the employee’s next designated working day considering weekends, leave, other non-working days, vacation periods and holidays.

Grooming Expectations

Please be mindful, hairstyles which draw attention to the individual, including but are not limited to: mullet, scullett, mohawks, tracks, tails, hair colouring etc. are not permitted.

Student Phones

Student mobile phones are to be signed in at the School Administration Office each morning and collected at the end of the school day.  Children are not permitted to text or make calls from phones or smart watches during the school day.

From our APMI

On Monday April 28 our Service Club Leaders and myself attended the Diocesan Requiem Mass for Pope Francis. The mass, presided by Bishop Ken Howell, was held at St Patrick's Cathedral. Special praise goes to our Service Club Leaders for their reverent participation in the mass and also to Bryce, who served as the altar server. After the mass, our Service Club Leaders were introduced to and conversed with Dr Pat from Toowoomba Catholic Education, Bishop Ken Howell and Mayor Geoff MacDonald.

Last week, St Thomas More's community came together to commemorate ANZAC Day with a beautiful and reverent liturgy. The event was graced by the presence of Mr Lindsay Shanks, an ex-Navy serviceman and current grandparent at our school. Lindsay kindly read the Ode and placed a wreath at the cross. The efforts of the students in 6 Gold were particularly commendable. They organised and shared a beautiful and reverent liturgy, demonstrating their dedication and respect for the significance of ANZAC Day. Their contributions were a testament to the values we hold dear at St Thomas More's.

The commemoration began with a warm welcome to students, parents, family members, and staff. The introduction highlighted the significance of ANZAC Day, a day dedicated to remembering the brave soldiers who fought for Australia and New Zealand. The ANZACs, known for their courage and dedication to justice, fought to keep our countries safe and free. While we do not like fighting, we are deeply thankful for those who protected us when it was necessary. The gathering was a moment to express gratitude for the peace and happiness we enjoy and to reflect on places where conflict and sadness still exist.

During the liturgy, special prayers were offered for:

• Peace and safety everywhere,
• Harmony within our countries,
• The happiness and safety of families,
• Peace in our own hearts.

The ceremony also acknowledged the sadness that wars bring, and thoughts were extended to those suffering due to ongoing conflicts, such as the people in Ukraine and the Middle East. The community sent their love and hope to these individuals.

A highlight of the week was the participation of our Student Representatives, Christian and Lliam, who laid a wreath on behalf of St Thomas More's at Mother's Memorial on Friday morning. Additionally, our school was well represented in the ANZAC March, showcasing our respect and commitment to honouring the memory of the ANZACs.

We are proud of our students and the entire community for coming together to honour this important day with such reverence and respect.

Last term we held an Easter raffle with all funds going to Caritas’ Project Compassion. Firstly, a massive thank you to everyone for your support, from donating raffle supplies through to purchasing tickets. Together we raised $579.35

God Bless

Donna Barlow 

Assistant Principal Mission & Identity

My New Gallery

The Resilience Project

Join the upcoming Connected Parenting Webinar (with other schools) with Lael Stone on Monday 12th May, 6:30-7:45pm (75 minutes) AEST. 

What we’ll deliver

Grounded in the latest research, this 75-minute workshop provides parents and carers with practical strategies to raise resilient children.  Lael Stone, will discuss how to: ​​​​​​

• Build stronger connections with your children. 
• Support them through challenging and frustrating situations.
• Create a culture of cooperation in simple ways. 
• Manage your own triggers as a parent. 
• Understand and support big emotions in a way that helps children become emotionally resilient. 

About Lael Stone

Lael Stone is an author, TEDx speaker, counsellor and parenting educator who specialises in navigating trauma and disconnection in families. She has spent the better part of two decades working with families, as well as running programs in secondary schools about relationships and wellbeing. She is a mother of three adult children and the co-founder of Woodline Primary School – a new innovative school focused on supporting emotional intelligence in children. 

 Register for the webinar using this link. We will then send the Zoom link and a calendar invite.

FAQs

Will it be recorded? 
Yes, and the link will be sent to you to share with your parent and carer community for those who cannot make it or would like a recap. 

Can we change the date or time?
As this webinar is presented with other school communities, we unfortunately cannot alter the date or time. 

From our Sports Dept

Cross Country

A massive congratulations to everyone who participated in our cross-country last week. We were blessed with the most perfect weather. House points will be announced at assembly this Friday.

Congratulations to the following children who will be competing at the Central Zone Cross Country on Monday 28^th April – Amelie F, Hamish P, Wol M, Christian S, Addison F, Aaliyah L, Anna P, Abigail M, James O, Ryan W, George T, Fergus A, Callum M, Scarlett J, Lauren A, Louie T, Ethan M, Tong W, Arthur R & Charles A. We wish you the best of luck!

Results

13 Years Boys

1^st – Bryson L

12 Years Girls

Age Champion – Olivia K

Runner Up – Amelie F

3^rd – Kendall H

4^th – Poppy F

12 Years Boys

Age Champion – Hamish P

Runner Up – Wol M

3^rd – Jonathan W

4^th – Christian S

11 Years Girls

Age Champion – Addison F

Runner Up – Aaliyah L

3^rd – Abigail M

4^th – Anna P

11 Years Boys

Age Champion – James O

Runner Up – Ryan W

3^rd – George T

4^th – Fergus A

10 Years Girls

Age Champion – Scarlett J

Runner Up – Florence T

3^rd – McQuidah O

4^th – Lauren A

10 Years Boys

Age Champion – Louie T

Runner Up – Ethan M

3^rd – Tong W

4^th – Arthur R

9 Years Girls

1^st – Esther W

2^nd – Michell A

3^rd – Zana B

4^th – Emily R

9 Years Boys

1^st – Taj M

2^nd – Zachary M

3^rd – George R

4^th – Chris D

8 Years Girls

1^st – Evelyn H

2^nd – Emmi M

3^rd – Beatrix N

4^th – Audrey T

8 Years Boys

1^st – Patrick S

2^nd – Billy T

3^rd – Nicolas D

4^th – Thon A

7 Years Girls

1^st – Chloe C

2^nd – Adau A

3^rd – Emily C

4^th – Lexi V & Kelsey M

7 Years Boys

1^st – Maddox M

2^nd – Conner R

3^rd – Lennox Burton & Lual W

4^th – Linc B

6 Years Girls

1^st – Mia W

2^nd – Alice K

3^rd – Georgia R

4^th – Mocushla S

6 Years Boys

1^st – Elijah U

2^nd – Corbin Z

3^rd – Beau B

4^th – Chett R

Prep Girls

1^st – Noraa F

2^nd – Sage D

3^rd – Sophie H

4^th – Freya H

Prep Boys

1^st – Noah M

2^nd – Elliott H

3^rd – Flynn & Riley

NRL Gala Day - *New Date*

We are excited to offer an opportunity for children in Year 3 & 4 to attend a League Tag Gala Day on Monday 12^th May. This day is an exciting day of playing a non-contact, touch football style of league run by Darling Downs NRL. Children wear tagging belts similar to those used in OzTag to play modified games against other schools in Toowoomba. Both boys and girls can play.

Children will be bused to and from the gala day. The cost of the bus will be $5 per student. They will need to wear their sports uniform and bring water, hat, sunscreen and lunch.

This is the list of children that were interested in attending the original date. This list will stay the same unless I’m contacted. If your child is not on the list but would like to attend please email Stacey.Hancock@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Stacey Hancock

Health and PE Teacher

From the Library

CONSTRUCTION ZONE READING COMPETITION WINNERS

Week 9

Book prize

Henry   Prep Gold

Chloe 2 Gold

Treasure box prize

Imogen 6 Gold

Lucia 6 Gold

Boston Prep Blue

Kelsey 1 Gold

Hugo Prep Blue

Kelsey 1 Gold

From our Counsellor

Healthy Minds Happy Hearts Newsletter Article

Dear Parents and Carers,

This term, researchers from the University of Southern Queensland’s Centre for Health Research invite your family to participate in the Healthy Minds Happy Hearts research project.

What is Healthy Minds Happy Hearts? This innovative program will help you learn if your child may be experiencing emotional or behavioural difficulties. It provides a screening assessment with measures used by psychologists, personalised feedback reports and recommendations for support, as well as access to a comprehensive information website all about child mental health.

Healthy Minds Happy Hearts is designed to support all children and families – your child does not need to be experiencing any difficulties to take part.

As a research project, families will be randomly allocated to one of two groups:

• Healthy Minds Happy Hearts Group: Access to the full program, including a comprehensive screening assessment, a personalised feedback report, tailored support recommendations, and immediate access to the Healthy Minds Happy Hearts information website.

• Standard Care Group: A brief screening assessment and a personalised feedback report and then access to the full Healthy Minds Happy Hearts program (as described above) at the end of the trial (after 12 weeks).

What does participation involve in both groups?

• A 10-20 minute online mental health screening survey for parents and children.
• Two follow-up surveys, 6 and 12 weeks later.

Participating families will also be entered into a raffle to win one of five $50 gift cards.

To participate in this project or find out more, please visit https://healthymindshappyhearts.unisq.edu.au/. You will need to enter your school’s unique access code to begin the screening assessment.

St Thomas More’s Primary School’s access code is JZYS

If you have any questions, please contact the research team at healthymindshappyhearts@unisq.edu.au

Thank you for supporting this important research!

Your Healthy Minds Happy Hearts Research Team: 

Dr Kirsty Zieschank, Ms Hannah Matthews, Prof Sonja March & Dr Arlen Rowe

From our Uniform Shop

P & F News

Tuckshop News

Opening Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Order via Flexischools App.  If you need help to navigate the App or to adjust your order, please feel free to pop into the tuckshop and chat to Jemma or email jemma@archerscateringandevents.com.au 

Cut off of Online orders...
Order before 7am for Wednesday and Thursday orders.  For Friday orders, please order by 1pm Thursdays.

Tuckshop Email:  jemma@archerscateringandevents.com.au 

NEW Tuckshop Menu

REMINDER - IF YOU CHILD IS SICK, PLEASE CONTACT THE TUCKSHOP BEFORE 9AM TO POSTPONE YOUR ORDER!

Thank you!

A huge thank you to Westridge Fruit and Vegetables for their continued support with the donation of fresh fruit every week for our students!

Notice Board

Tennis Coaching

Tennis Coaching will start again in Term 2.