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Dear Parents and Carers,
The Sacrament of Confirmation completes the Sacrament of Baptism. This sacrament invites God to be present in the person’s life and to empower them as they
live out Christ’s mission. Confirmation is a true sacrament instituted by Jesus and different from Baptism. It is administered by the bishop through the laying-on of hands and anointing with chrism, accompanied by prayer. The effect of the Sacrament of Confirmation is to give strength in faith.
The Yr 6 Confirmation students have their retreat day this Friday. Thank you to Fr Josh, Fr Emil and the Yr 6 teachers for all their work and time in making sure the students are fully prepared. The students will receive the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Confirmation this Sunday. Archbishop Christopher Prowse will confirm the students. Please pray for them.
PRAYER FOR CONFIRMATION CANDIDATES
Lord, You send out Your Spirit to touch the hearts of all people, so that they may believe in You and in Jesus whom You sent.
Look kindly on all candidates for Confirmation as they listen to Your voice.
Open their hearts to Your Spirit and bring to fulfilment the good work that You have begun in them.
As we prepare these children for Confirmation, make each of us an instrument of Your love.
Teach us to appreciate what is holy in others, and to be patient with what we do not understand. Deepen our faith in the Gospel and help us to pass it on by our example.
We pray that You will continue to guide us and sustain us.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
School Choir
Our school choir will be singing at the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday at 9:30am. Special thanks to Jaki Kane for her commitment to our choir.
Uniform
Thank you to all parents for ensuring your child is wearing the correct uniform. It helps to set the standard and ensure all students start the day with a sense of belonging and acceptance.
Catholic Schools Netball Carnival
Many of our students will be playing in the Catholic Schools Netball Carnival at Calwell this Saturday. Thanks to Samantha Mance for her organisation. Thanks also to the parents who will be helping on the day.
Save the date
Open Classrooms - Nov 7: before and after school
Summer Sport Registration
It’s that time of year when our students are beginning to register for summer sport. If you are registering your child into a local community comp or sport, please let us know. We can arrange for the Class Contact to send out details to the class - we could have a few STM teams!
Yours sincerely,
Julie Wiley
Principal.
One Community
in God’s Love
WE are a Community
CENTRED in FAITH
Welcome to Term 4! I trust you all enjoyed your holiday break with loved ones and are ready to begin the final term for 2019.
This year, staff, students and St Thomas More’s School community have XPLORED MORE on who St Paul was how he teaches us to live in community.
In Term 1, St Paul taught us how to ‘live as a community of peacemakers’.
In Term 2, we learned how to be a ‘Eucharistic Community’.
Term 3 was focused on being a ‘community living with the Spirit’.
In Term 4, we are being ‘centred in our FAITH’ and learning how to share the gift of Jesus.
Year 5/6 students have been walking in the footsteps of St Paul and have travelled with him to many different communities in Asia and Rome. Below are some of their reflections on how St Paul was centred in his FAITH.
Thomas
St Paul welcomed all people no matter what religion or culture.
He also used the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit to help everyone.
Jess
Paul travelled really far distances on foot just to share his faith.
He was very courageous to go into communities and encourage them to change their way of thinking and not believe in false gods.
Sienna
St Paul always used the gift of courage when he travelled miles on foot.
Paul welcomed everyone into the community, no matter who they were.
Sora
St Paul impacted the people of all different communities he visited by sharing his faith and helping a lot of people.
He showed a lot of courage by travelling everywhere and sometimes even risking his life like the time when he was shipwrecked.
Timothy
St Paul was centred in FAITH when:
He travelled from city to city sharing the Christian FAITH.
He still encouraged different communities to keep the FAITH by writing letters to them.
He baptised people, shared a meal with people and spoke about Jesus.
Bronte
Saint Paul was centred in faith in many different ways like when he used the fruit of love to heal and anoint the sick. When he used the gift of courage to go on the ship when he didn't think it was a good idea. When he spread Jesus’ message throughout lots of different communities.
Callum
Paul used the fruit of peace because he was thrown in jail a lot but was still calm
Paul used the gift of courage while spreading his faith
Tahli
Paul was persistent and never gave up. He remained peaceful even when he was put into prison many times.
Paul helped the “poor” whichwere women and children at that time, by feeding them and he also made tents and gave them to the homeless.
This Sunday, the following students will be celebrating the Sacrament of
Confirmation. As a community centred in FAITH, we pray for these students as they make a commitment to continue sharing the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit into their adolescent years.
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Rhys Davids |
Sophie Neighbour |
Ruby Di Petta |
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Jenna Cross |
Luke Herpen |
Amelia Curtin |
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Patrick Moore |
Niamh Sheehan
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Vinuk Fernando
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I wish you all a peaceful start to the school term.
Donna Victory
Religious Education Coordinator
Lunchtime craft and deployment groups
Lunchtime craft and deployment groups will commence in Week 2. Please let me know if your family has a Defence parent away (including for short courses etc) and your child would like to attend the Deployment Group.
Date for your Diary
St Thomas More's Remembrance Day Liturgy – Monday 11 November (Term 4 Week 5) at 9am in Holy Faith Hall.
Soldier On
What Kokedama Workshop
When Tuesday 29 October 2019, 10am-noon
Where Soldier On, 80 Bellenden St, GUNGAHLIN
Info Mindfulness workshop learning the art of Kokedama, a style of Japanese bonsai. For Soldier On participants. For further information and to register your interest, email act@soldieron.org.au .
What Art Workshop - Zentangles
When Thursday 31 October 2019, 10am-12.30pm
Where The Art Studio, Soldier On, 80 Bellenden St, GUNGAHLIN
Info For Soldier On participants and their families. Free and morning tea provided. For further information and to register your interest, email act@soldieron.org.au .
What Dragon Boat Racing
When Saturday 9 November 2019, 7am-2pm
Where Grevillea Park, Lake Burley Griffin, Moreshead Drive
Info Dragons Abreast Social and Corporate Regatta
3 training sessions:
Sat, 26 Oct 11.30am-1pm
Tue, 29 Oct 6-7.15am
Tue, 5 Nov 6-7.15 am
Free activity for Soldier On participants over the age of 18. For further information and to register your interest, email act@soldieron.org.au .
Feel welcome to visit or contact me on 6249 8869 or send an email to sonja.mingay@cg.catholic.edu.au .
Sonja Mingay DSTA
Work hours: Mon-Wed 9am-3pm, Thu 9-11am
Our next Mini Vinnies meeting will be held on Friday, 25 October where we will be organising our activities for Term 4. The Mini Vinnies Social Justice Day will be held at the Australian Catholic University on Friday 22 November (Week 6). There are a limited number of places available, therefore the children who have shown the most commitment throughout the year and attended the most meetings will be invited to attend this excursion. More information will follow closer to the time. Mini Vinnies will also be organising St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hampers at the end of the term.
Anti-Poverty Week & Pens Against Poverty Writing Competition
This week, 13-19 October 2019, is Anti-Poverty Week. The purpose of Anti-Poverty Week is to support the Australian community to have an increased understanding of poverty and to take action collectively to end it.
https://www.antipovertyweek.org.au/
The Pens Against Poverty Writing Competition is coordinated by Anglicare and is an official activity of Anti-Poverty Week. It aims to heighten empathy among readers and writers on the topic of poverty. The theme for this year is ‘Courage in Kindness’.
Eight St Thomas More’s students submitted well-constructed and thought-provoking poems and short stories for the competition. Well done to Annabelle Graham (Year 5), Tara Holmes (Year 5), Nicholas Crews (Year 4), Riley Hambrook (Year 4), Dominic Shoebridge (Year 4), Leah Shoebridge (Year 4) Isobel Curcio (Year 4) along with a special entry from Ava White (Year 4) for dedicating your gifts of creativity and good-heartedness towards the global social justice issue of poverty. Unfortunately, our school was advised that winners have now been selected by the judges and our entrants weren’t successful on this occasion.
Tara Holmes’s entry is below:
ANOTHER DAY
It was another day of learning, another day of school
When the new girl arrived, she looked like a fool.
She didn’t have a backpack but rather a plastic bag,
I looked much tidier than her but I don’t mean to brag.
Her hair was a mess, knotty and unbrushed
As for her books, they were crumpled, torn or crushed.
Her teeth were all yellow and her nails full of dirt
And she didn’t even have the school logo on her shirt.
She was very very thin and very very shy
And as she stood in front of the class she looked as though she’d cry.
At lunch she sat alone on the cold hard ground
And all she had to eat were some crackers she had found.
During class she sat at the back and was not very smart
But although nobody knew, deep down she had a kind heart.
All the other kids didn’t treat her well
One kid even tripped her and so, she fell.
I sort of felt sorry for her as she walked out of the gates,
Not having any money, not having any mates.
I realise today that I should have been less cruel
But it’s too late now she’s moved to a new school.
Feel welcome to visit or contact me on 6249 8869 or send an email to sonja.mingay@cg.catholic.edu.au .
Sonja Mingay
School Chaplain
Work hours: Thu 11am-3pm, Fri 9am-3pm
Book Fair Success!
Thank you for supporting a love of reading with your children at St Thomas More’s. It is wonderful to see so many children borrowing books each week and taking a keen interest in reading. Our Book Fair this year was a HUGE success. It was a record-breaking year of sales for our school! This means we have received a huge contribution of just over $900 from Scholastic to spend on books and resources for our Library. The students and teachers compiled a ‘Wish List’ and these items have arrived ready for this term. If you can assist with book covering, please contact me via email: madeleine.reid@cg.catholic.edu.au
Congratulations to Year 5/6
The annual ‘Cake and Bake’ stall this year raised just over $300. The money raised from the cake stall will help us purchase new soft furnishings to freshen up the cosy reading corners in our Library. This will compliment NEW FURNITURE arriving at the end of this week.
We LOVE reading at St Thomas More’s. It is such a privilege to watch our students share their love of books with others. Please help your child/ren to remember their Library books and bag each Monday.
Madeleine Reid
Teacher-Librarian
Manuka Pool
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Manuka Pool to reopen on 30 November 2019 following major upgrade The Canberra community is invited to celebrate recent upgrades at Manuka Pool on Saturday, 30 November 2019 with free entry and activities for the whole family. For more information please visit www.sport.act.gov.au |
Orienteering
Football
