Embedded Files
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we gather today -
The Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Information in this Week's Newsletter
Information in this Week's Newsletter
Assumption of Saint Mary
Assumption of Saint Mary
On this special day, we gather to celebrate the glorious Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We thank you for the gift of her life and for the grace you bestowed upon her.
You chose Mary to be the mother of your Son, Jesus, and you kept her free from sin from the moment of her conception. You watched over her throughout her life, and when her time on earth was complete, you did not let her body decay. Instead, in your infinite love, you raised her up, body and soul, into the glory of heaven.
Mary, you are a sign of hope for us all. You show us the path to heaven and remind us that our ultimate home is with God. As we honor your triumph today, we ask for your intercession.
Pray for us, Holy Mother of God. Help us to follow your example of faith, humility, and obedience. Teach us to always say "yes" to God's will, even when it is difficult. May we, like you, grow closer to your Son, Jesus, each day.
May this feast of your Assumption inspire us to live lives worthy of the promise of eternal life.
Amen.
Meet The Teacher
Meet The Teacher
Important Dates - Events for Term 3
Important Dates - Events for Term 3
Click this link to subscribe directly to our STM Public Events Google Calendar for web or Android users.
Click this link to subscribe if you are an iPhone user.
TERM 3
Friday 15th August - Feast of the Assumption School Mass - 12.15pm to 1.15pm
Monday 18th - Friday 22nd August - Book Week
Monday 18th August - BOOK WEEK parade 9.00am-10.00am
Wednesday 27th August - Parent/Teacher Interviews (Students finish at 12.00pm) - Booking details via School Interviews will be sent out shortly
Monday 01st September - Father's Day Breakfast
Thursday 04th September - Father's Day Stall
Saturday 13th September - Year 6 Confirmation
Monday 15th September - School Closure Day
Tuesday 16th September - End of Term Mass at 10.00am
Wednesday 17th September - Night 1 (L-Z) of concert
Thursday 18th September - Night 2 (A-K) of concert
Friday 19th September - Last day of term 3 - 12.00pm finish; canteen closed; casual clothes day; gold coin donation charity TBC
**'Public Events' are listed on our website under 'News and Events', the link being; https://www.stmhadfield.catholic.edu.au/news-events
On the bottom right hand side there is a blue box with a + symbol. If you have a google account, you can link the 'Public Events' calendar to your own personal Google calendar and keep up to date with the most current events and times.
Please don't hesitate to contact the office if you have any questions.
News from our Principal
News from our Principal
Dear Families,
I hope this message finds you well as we come to the end of Week 4 of Term 3. The days are getting a little longer, the sun is making more appearances, and there’s a definite feeling that spring is on its way.
Athletics Day
As you are aware our Athletics Day planned for today will need to be rescheduled. We received late notice from the Harold Stevens Athletics Track that the venue was unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances. While this was completely out of our control, I know it’s disappointing news for students, families and staff who were looking forward to the day. The good news is that we are already in discussions with the venue to secure a new date, and once that’s locked in, we’ll share it with you straight away. Thursday will be a regular school day for all. For those who pre-ordered sausages, fear not. Our sausage sizzle will still go ahead this Friday at school. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we make this change, and we’re confident that when Athletics Day does roll around, it will be an even better celebration of our students’ energy and spirit.
Year 6 Faith Night
A big thank you to our Year 6 families who joined us for Wednesday night’s Faith Night with Maria Forde. It was a special and meaningful evening, and we hope it provided an opportunity for reflection and connection between you and your child. We’d love to hear your thoughts, please take a few moments to complete the Google Form that was emailed to you. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping future sessions. Thank you to Clara Privitera for organising this for our Year 6 families.
Feast of the Assumption of Mary
A friendly reminder that we will be celebrating the Feast of the Assumption of Mary with our school community tomorrow, August 15th, at 12:15 pm. You are all welcome to join us as we gather for this special Mass.
Homework Policy
Our new Homework Policy can be found in the Learning & Teaching section below and has also been emailed to parents. This policy, endorsed by the School Advisory Council, aims to provide a balanced approach that supports learning both at school and at home.
Concert Tickets
A reminder that concert tickets are still available. In the coming weeks, we’ll open sales up to unlimited ticket purchases, so keep an eye on your inbox for that announcement.
Deputy Principal Appointment
I’m also delighted to officially welcome Michelle Rinaldi as our new Deputy Principal at St Thomas More. Michelle begins her three year term immediately and will serve until the end of 2028. After a rigorous selection process, including an interview at the Northern Region Office, Michelle impressed with her vision, leadership, and commitment to our community. I look forward to working closely with her as we continue building on the many strengths of our school.
Natalie Pennisi
This week will be Natalie Pennisi’s last before she leaves for maternity leave. I want to take a moment now to acknowledge how grateful I am for her hard work and the genuine care she has shown for our children. We wish her all the very best as she begins this exciting new chapter, and I’m sure she won’t be a stranger to us! I am pleased to share with you that Zoe Artavilla will be taking over as the classroom teacher for 2NP for the remainder of the 2025 school year, beginning Thursday, August 21.
Father’s Day
Looking ahead, Father’s Day is fast approaching! We’ll be celebrating in Week 7 of Term 3 with a special pancake breakfast on Monday 1 September and our Father’s Day Stall on Thursday 4 September. Helpers are needed for both events, and we’d love your support. Breakfast bookings can be made via CDF Pay, and stall gifts will range from $1 to $10 (please send a shopping bag with your child). For full details and to sign up for a volunteer slot, please visit the Term 3 Events section on our school website.
School Review
This term, St Thomas More will also be participating in the MACS School Review Process, an important part of ongoing school improvement across Catholic schools in Melbourne. As part of this process, I’ll have been busy reaching out to families via email to seek your input. Your voice is incredibly important, and I encourage those families contacted to participate and share their reflections to help us continue to grow and improve.
School Closure Day
Finally, a reminder that we have an Upcoming School Closure Day on Monday 15 September. On this day, our staff will be engaging in faith development and student wellbeing, with a focus on student safety and cultural diversity.
2026
Lastly, as we start to plan ahead for 2026, it’s important we have an accurate picture of student numbers. If you know your family will be moving, please let me know at your earliest convenience so we can plan effectively for the future.
Thank you for your continued support and involvement in the life of our school. STM is a special place because of the strong partnership we share between staff, students, and families.
Warm regards,
David Hurn
Principal
Numeracy
Numeracy
Dear Families,
We're excited to announce that our school has been participating in the Matific Math Olympiad this week, a fun and engaging digital math competition for primary students!
The Matific platform is free of charge for all students during the competition week (11th-15th August). Your child will be taking part in activities at school, and we encourage them to continue competing at home to boost their chances of winning.
Competition Details
Competition Details
Competition Dates: 11th- 15th August.
Login Details: Your child's teacher will provide their personal login information.
Goal: The goal is for students to complete activities on "Adventure Island" and earn 150 stars.
Prizes: All students will receive a certificate of participation, and there are exciting prizes up for grabs for top performers!
To play at home, students must use the free Matific Math app on an iPad or tablet. If your child is using a Chromebook, they can use a web browser.
Download the app here:
We hope your child is having a great time with the Matific Math Olympiad!
Kind regards,
Vanessa Cutajar
Learning & Teaching - Parent Teacher Interviews
Learning & Teaching - Parent Teacher Interviews
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
Last year, we proposed a new Parent Teacher Interview process to keep parents better informed about their child's academic progress. Interviews will take place in Terms 1 and 3, while school reports will still be issued in Terms 2 and 4. On Wednesday 27th August, students will be dismissed at 12.00pm and interviews will commence from 12.15pm. Your Parent Teacher Interview is of a 10 minute duration and is an opportunity to discuss your child's learning progress with their classroom teacher, this includes learning strengths and areas of need. For the smooth running of this event, it is important to keep to this schedule. If you have more than one child at school, we advise parents not to book back to back appointments and to leave at least a 10 minute interval between appointments. This way teachers can run their appointments on time, and parents can have a full 10 minute interview.
Bookings for this event are now OPEN
Please visit www.schoolinterviews.com.au and use the following event code to book an interview with your child's teacher.
Event code: b3dta
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions.
Learning & Teaching - Homework Policy
Learning & Teaching - Homework Policy
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are pleased to announce that the St. Thomas More Homework Policy has now been finalised and will be implemented across all year levels. We understand that homework is an important topic for many families, and we want to thank everyone who provided their valuable feedback throughout this process.
This new policy is the result of careful consideration and collaborative effort. We've ensured it aligns with several key principles:
Current Educational Research: The policy is informed by the latest research on effective homework practices, focusing on activities that genuinely enhance learning and consolidate classroom teaching, rather than simply creating busywork.
Teacher Professional Expectations: Our dedicated teaching staff have contributed significantly to this policy, ensuring it supports pedagogical goals.
Valuing Family and Extra-Curricular Activities: We firmly believe in the importance of a balanced life for our students. The policy explicitly acknowledges and respects the valuable time children spend with their families and participating in enriching extra-curricular activities. We want homework to complement, not dominate, these essential aspects of childhood.
The finalised policy clearly outlines the school's expectations for homework at each year level.
We are confident that this new policy will provide clarity and support for both students and families.
Thank you for your continued partnership in your child's education.
Warm regards,
Sonia Mazzei
Wellbeing
Wellbeing
Resilience.MP4The values of Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, and Safety are fundamental to our school's culture and environment. They provide a safe space where every student feels secure, supported, and ready to learn.
Respect: When we show respect, we care for ourselves, others, and our world. It helps us be kind and make school a friendly place for everyone.
Responsibility: This means we are honest and make good choices. Being responsible helps us build trust and learn to be disciplined, which prepares us for the future.
Resilience: Resilience is about trying again even when things are hard. It helps us solve problems and builds our confidence so we can do well in school and in life.
Safety: Feeling safe is the most important thing at school. When we feel safe in our bodies and our feelings, we can ask questions, try new things, and focus on learning and playing without worry.
Clara Privitera,
Religious Education & Acting Student Wellbeing Leader
Book Week
Book Week
Dear STM Families,
We are excited to announce that Book Week is coming to St Thomas More from Monday 18th August - Friday 22nd August.
This year's theme is Book An Adventure and coincides with the 80th birthday of the Children's Book Council of Australia.
Here are the activities we have planned for the week....
Book Week Parade: Our Book Week celebrations will kick off with our annual Book Week Parade on Monday 18th August at 9:00am. We encourage all students to dress up as their favourite book character, or perhaps create a costume linked to the theme 'Book An Adventure'. Let your imagination soar! After the parade, parents are warmly invited to join your child's class for a Book Week activity.
Library Activities: Our school library will be open every day at first break, offering exciting Book Week activities for students to complete. On Wednesday and Friday three of our wonderful Grade Four students, Rishav, Thomas and Marco will be hosting activities to celebrate the character Dog Man.
Reading Passport: From Week 2 to Week 5, your child may wish to take part in a mini reading challenge. They will be given a special passport to record their reading. This is a wonderful chance to encourage your child to read more in this time and to strive to read as much as they can. Those who read and record the most books will be acknowledged with a prize. Passports will be given out in your child's library session.
Masked Reader: Throughout the week, we will be hosting our very own Masked Reader story time. Each day, students will enjoy watching a video of a STM staff member in disguise reading a well known picture book. Can you guess who the mystery reader is? The identity of the masked reader will be revealed the following day.
Book Week Cookies: To satisfy your sweet tooth and support a great cause, the canteen will be selling delicious Book Week Cookies for $2.00 each at second break. All proceeds will be donated to The Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Cash sales only.
We look forward to an adventurous Book Week.
Kind regards,
Jessica Eyar, Lou Eveston & Michelle Rinalid
2025 School Concert
2025 School Concert
As we all know the concert is soon approaching!
All of the teachers and students have been working extremely hard to bring this amazing event together. We cannot wait to showcase our ‘Remember When’ Concert to you all. Tickets are now on sale! There are a few simple steps you will need to follow to successfully purchase your tickets. Steps and relevant links have been emailied to families.
The limit of tickets to be purchased is 3 per family, this is due to limited seating in the auditorium. Each ticket will cost $30. The cost includes a downloadable version of the concert that will be captured by a professional videogropher. The recording will be available for download in TERM 4.
St Thomas More will monitor purchases via the reports on the booking website. This is to ensure that each family is purchasing ONLY 3 tickets.
Any purchases exceeding the maximum entitlement will be automatically refunded.
Remaining tickets will be released at a later date for families to purchase
Children under the age of 2 do not require a ticket and can sit on a parent/guardians lap
Community Engagement- STM
Community Engagement- STM
Join us for our STM Father's Day celebration! Start with a pancake breakfast: $15 per person.
Breakfast to be enjoyed in the Quadrangle or your child's classroom, followed by classroom activities. (Parents with multiple children can enjoy the activities in one child's classroom.)
Select your preferred breakfast session:
8:00am - 8:30am
8:30am - 9:00am
9:00am - 9:30am
Mark your calendars! The Father's Day Stall is on Thursday, September 4th.
Here's what you need to know:
Gifts are priced between $1 and $10.
Please remember to send a shopping bag with your child.
If your child forgets their money, their gifts will be held at the school office and can be collected once payment is received.
If you are able to assist at either of the Father's Day events please fill out this roster
Community Afternoon Flyer.pdf
Dear Community Members,
As part of the 60 Year anniversary of Mercy College, we are inviting all alumni and past staff members to a high tea celebration on Sunday 12 October 2025.
Kind regards,
Denise Pasqual
Events
Mercy College
760 Sydney Road, Coburg VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9319 9299
Email: Events@mercycoburg.catholic.edu.au
OakPark_Flyer_A4.pdfWe are excited to announce the opening of our new early learning centre called Oak Park Early Learning. We are located on 718 Pascoe Vale Road, Oak Park.
Warm regards,
Sunit Gill
(Director at Oak Park Early Learning)
Awards
Awards
Prep SA
Attie M - for trying his best to learn the sounds letters make and for writing uppercase letters
Maia V - for showing growing confidence in writing, sounding out words , writing matching sounds and adding finger spaces
Prep BM
Sienna H - for demonstrating a strong understanding of place value by identifying hundreds, tens and ones in 3 digit numbers. Well done!
Ava S - for using the conjunction 'and' to join her ideas and write compound sentences to share interesting facts from non-fiction texts.
Well done!
1AM
Zander M - for his incredible memory! Zander, I don't know how you remember new information and words so quickly!
Elias B - for making a huge effort in writing! Elias, I love seeing you improve every week, you're a star!
1CH
Savannah P - for always being willing and ready to share during Share Time to our class. We love that you always love to share
Jasmine N - for working very hard at representing sounds using sound boxes. You have been working really hard to improve!
2RT
Jack B - for showing determination during our multiplication and division unit in Maths and working hard to solve 'groups of' and 'sharing' problems. Keep it up!
Ricky N - for consistently working hard in all areas of learning and constantly looking for ways to extend yourself . You always embrace challenging tasks with a growth mindset! Keep it up!
2NP
Ryder G - for being a respectful and considerate member of the class who demonstrates a Growth Mindset
Vanessa S - for consistently demonstrating our school values of responsibility and resilience, especially when needing to show her problem solving skills. Well done :)
2CE
Iva D - for always being such a kind, caring and supportive friend to all those around you!
Noah K - for reading with such great fluency and expression. You are an entertaining narrator! Well done :)
3PB
Siya G - for being an active learner and always having a growth mindset, particularly in Literacy. Well done for challenging yourself and taking on teacher feedback to make your writing pieces more engaging
Daniel M - for your insightful contributions to all class discussions. You have become more confident in sharing your ideas, thoughts and feelings. Keep up the good work!
3ST
Dion P - for having a strong start to term 3, showing a growth mindset, listening attentively and applying himself to his learning. WELL DONE!
Sneha O - for being a responsible learner at all times and challenging herself in all learning tasks. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
4NK
Ruby I - for your active participation during our morning prayer and showing a growth mindset during learning time. Keep it up Ruby!
Julietta S - for clearly articulating her Mathematical reasoning by explaining her thought process during whole class discussions. Well done!
4MC
Olivia S - for being a focused and determined learner, particularly during Maths sessions . Well done for working efficiently!
Nakita H - outstanding engagement and participation during whole class learning! You consistently show respect by listening and taking the initiative to help around the classroom. You are a superstar!
Aidan Q - for your consistent effort and dedication to your learning. Well done sharing your ideas and showing persistence when faced with a challenge!
4DP
Eva C - for including different types of punctuation in your writing and adding lots of detail. Keep challenging and applying yourself! Well done!
Dante P - for using the expanded algorithm to answer multiplication equations. You have been able to apply this new strategy in your learning, keep it up!
5AG
Jacob S - for being a focused and determined learner during our fractions and angles units. Your hard work as paid off!
Antonio M - for showing persistence and a growth mindset when classifying, measuring and drawing angles. Great work!
5TS
Raizel D - for her initiative in exploring new genres and broadening her book choices during library!
Isaac P - for showing a growth mindset and determination when finding common denominators. You should be so proud of your hard work!
6RB
John G - for your focus and dedication towards your learning and for always giving things a go. Well done John!
Ava S - for your dedicated effort and positive attitude throughout our concert rehearsals!
6CC
Xavier D - for taking on extra responsibility as part of his leadership role. Thank you for your dedication!
Emma P - for always approaching tasks with confidence and giving them a go, even if they are challenging! Keep up the good work!
6EK
Isaac G - for being a positive participant during class discussions and for making great contributions during Inquiry
Alexander G - for being a positive participant during our first recipricol reading group and for making detailed predictions
Art
Abby V - for her remarkable work ethic and attention to detail in every art session.
Drama
Maya C - for an outstanding effort with your Drama Ritual profile, showing a passionate response in your message and inspirations - on the theme of ‘bullying’ and it’s effects.
Music
Virginia I - for her participation and knowledge of Musical elements. Well done!
Music
Rosabelle T - for her participation and engagement in Music lessons - keep it up!
Italian
Amelia K - for her undivided attention and participation during whole class choralling. Ottimo lavoro Amelia!
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