Dear families,

A much more settled week here at STM after a challenging week last week for many families with the storm that hit our area. I sincerely thank the parents who have emailed me or approached me on the yard to pass on their thanks for the school's communication during that time. Your positive feedback is very appreciated, sometimes in our busy schedules, something as simple as a kind word or a little bit of a pat on the back can make the world of difference, so thank you!

In the RE Information Tab of this newsletter I have added a video from Project Compassion, please take some time this week to watch Ronita's story. Over the course of Lent we are asking students (and families) to bring in some change each week and place it in the Project Compassion boxes. This money helps Caritas Australia fund important projects for people around the world who are less fortunate than ourselves.

On Monday night, our P&F committee held their first meeting of the year. We have set dates for events for the year, as well as meeting dates. Please see the P&F News tab for more information.

Just a reminder I will be on leave next week, I am using my last week of parental leave from the birth of Cameron last year. I will be spending the week doing school drop offs and pick ups with Emma and Connor and also spending some time with Candice and Cameron at home. It will be nice to just be a dad for the week. Danielle will be Acting Principal in my absence and will be well supported by our other school leaders Marcia, Belinda and Donna (as well as all the other amazing staff at our school).

The next Assembly will take place on February 26th in the School Library. It will begin at 2:30pm. The dates for the rest of the Term 1 assemblies are as follows 4th of March and 18th of March.

Sibling Enrolments:

I know it seems way to early to be thinking about 2025 already, but we are asking all families who have siblings entering Prep in 2025 to complete the enrolment process by the end of Term 1. Early numbers in prep allow us plan for our goal of having a straight Prep class in 2025. We need your support to do this. You can pick up an enrolment pack from the office, alternatively you can complete an online application by clicking on the link below.

Preps first Wednesday!

Just a note for our Prep families, the first full week of school for our Foundation students will be the week of Monday, 4th of March.

Icy Poles:

Just a reminder that Icy Poles are on sale each Friday for $1 each. The money raised goes towards Year Six Fun day celebrations at the end of the year.

Confirmation Workshop - Parent and Child (online)

On Wednesday 28th of Feb, we are holding our online parent workshop for confirmation candidates. A link will be sent early next week. I look forward to seeing you all online.

District Swimming Carnival:

A new date for the Sherbrooke District Swimming Carnival has been set, Tuesday 27th of February. 14 students have qualified and will represent our school in various events. The students will be accompanied by Mrs Jeanette Wicks, Mrs Jessie Prince and Miss Jayde Walton. We congratulate the students who have progressed and wish them all the best as the represent our school.

Camps at St Thomas More:

We have had a slight adjustment to our Camp schedule moving forward. Please see below our camp plan for the next few years:

2024:

Camp Manyung (2 night camp for 5/6 students) - June 12th-14th

Day trip (1 day trip for 3/4 students) - place and date tbc

2025:

Sovereign Hill Camp (1 night camp for 3/4 students) - March 6th-7th, 2025

City Camp (2 night camp for 5/6 students) - November 26th-28th, 2025

Victorian Schools Guide: Secondary Education:

School Advisory Council:

Our first SAC meeting will be Tuesday 5th of March @ 7:00 pm. The meeting will take place at the school in the staffroom.

School Closure Day:

The school will be closed on Monday 11th of March due to the Labour Day Public Holiday.

Teeth on Wheels:

We have Teeth On Wheels visiting our school for dental check-ups and oral health education on 7th March 2024.

Click the link below to sign your child up - IT MIGHT BE FREE!

The cut off date for completing these forms is 29 February 2024.

Please complete your form today and the Teeth On Wheels team will be in contact to schedule your child’s appointment and notify you if your child is eligible for FREE dental care through the Child Dental Benefit Schedule.

Any further questions, please contact the Teeth On Wheels team on (03) 9338 1191.

2024 School Closure Days:

Monday 11th of March - Labour Day (Public Holiday)

Friday 29th of March - Good Friday (Public Holiday)

Thursday 25th of April - ANZAC Day (Public Holiday)

Friday 26th of April - School Closure

Friday 16th of August - School Closure

Monday 21st of October - School Closure

Monday 4th of November - School Closure

Tuesday 5th of November - Melbourne Cup (Public Holiday)

Friday 29th of November - School Closure

Monday 2nd of December - School Closure

Tuesday 17th of December - Students Last Day

Have a great week!!

God bless

Declan

Assembly Awards / Birthdays