Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that we are here in week 10. I would like to thank the STM for warmly welcoming me into your community. I truly feel blessed to be working with you all.

Unfortunately we have had a significant rise in COVID-19 cases here at STM and some key events that are special to our community have had to be cancelled. These decisions are not made lightly. I have sent out information via our Operoo platform regarding the remaining days of school this week (Thursday 8 and Friday 9 December). Can you please read this important information. The safety and wellbeing of students, families and staff are of my utmost priority and as such we strongly encourage the following:

• families RAT test each day especially if they have any symptoms

• students who report a positive COVID-19 test result are highly recommended to isolate for a minimum of 5 days. If after 5 days students are still symptomatic they remain home until symptoms have resolved

• staff, families and students wear a masks indoors

• families notify your child’s teacher, the principal and office of any positive cases

If your child is going to be absent from school you are able to fill out the 2022 Student Absentee Form located in the Quick links on our website. This is an easy and efficient way to notify the school of an absence.

We have rescheduled our Christmas Carols for Friday 16th December from 9:15am. We encourage children to wear their Christmas colours on this day. If we are able to have families attend this event we will let you know as soon as possible.

The last day of school is also a very special day for our Year 6 students who graduate after 7 Years here at STM. I wish them all the best in their future endeavours and settling into secondary school life. We look forward to hearing from them and hope they stay in touch.

School fee statements will be emailed next week reflecting a $60.00 discount back to your statements as our swimming program was cancelled by the venue. This credit amount will transfer and be reflected in your 2023 school fee statement. Year 6 families whose youngest is leaving the school are encouraged to email Maree Gleeson and request a refund of any credit balance they have.

A reminder that bookings for start of year testing open next week, there is further information provided below under 'Booking Testing Days'.

I would like to acknowledge the staff leaving our school community at the end of this year, Anneliese Gaulton, Kate Korber, Janine Cincotta, Mary Leos and Josh Rando.

Anneliese started her teaching career in 2004 at St Patrick's Primary School in Kilmore before moving to St Christophers Airport West where she taught for 3 years. Anneliese moved to STM in 2009 and has been a long standing staff member ever since. Anneliese has held the positions of Classroom Teacher, Literacy Leader, Deputy Principal and Acting Principal. Anneliese we wish you all the very best in the next stages of your career! Enjoy the warmer weather in Queensland.

Kate Kober started her teaching career in 2004 at St Christophers Airport West where she taught and was a leader for 6 years. She then moved here to STM in 2009 where she has held the position of Mathematics Leader, Information Technology Leader, Deputy Principal and Learning and Teaching Leader. Kate has been a valued member of the STM community and has worked tirelessly in her time here. We wish Kate all the very best.

Janine Cincotta started her teaching career at Mary Immaculate School in Ivanhoe in 1995 before moving to St Luke's School in Lalor. Janine then worked at St Christophers Airport West for 7 years before moving to STM in 2011. Janine has held the positions of Student Wellbeing Leader and Acting Deputy Principal over her journey here at STM. We thank her for her dedication in making STM a safe and inclusive school where all feel welcome. Good luck in your new role in Wellbeing at Marymede Catholic College.

Mary Leos and Josh Rando started here at STM this year in their role as Learning Support Officers. We are grateful for their efforts in making learning an authentic experience for our students. We wish all the very best in your careers moving forward.

Again, thank you to all in our STM community for the continued support this term. I really wish you all a safe Christmas.

David Hurn

Your child's semester 2 report will be available on Friday 9th December at 4pm. Reports will be available via the Online Parent Portal. The link to the portal is https://parent.nforma.ct.com.au/app/index.html?schooldomain=stmhadfield#/login

Please find below information about what to expect for new parents, and existing parents who have used the portal before.

What to expect if you are an existing parent who has used the portal previously

1. Head to the portal link: https://parent.nforma.ct.com.au/app/index.html?schooldomain=stmhadfield#/login

2. Use your existing username and password that you were sent last year.

3. If not, follow the reset password link

4. This will send you a temporary password that you will need to reset. Follow the prompts.

5. If you are needing to create a new password for the parent portal, please keep in mind that this needs to be at least 7 characters long, and include on that is non alpha numeric. This means that it needs to include at least one character that is not a letter or a number. Examples of these could include a *, - or /.

Please try to log in now to ensure that you have access. Please be patient and take your time with the process. The password is very case sensitive.

What to expect for new parents to our school in semester 2

1. New parents to our school in semester 2 will receive an email with a unique username and password to access the Parent Portal

2. These details will need to be used to access your child's report via the link provided in the email

3. Please note that this email will come from NFORMA (not St Thomas More) and may be in your junk mail

4. Examples of the email you will receive and report view of the portal are attached below.

5. This email will be sent to the email address you have connected to the school's admin. Please ensure that you check the correct email addres

You will receive an email once the reports are live.

Please note that we highly recommend that all parents download your own copy of your child's report for future use, particularly if your child is leaving STM this year. Once children leave the school, all profiles are archived and no longer active in the system.

If you experience issues accessing the portal, please ensure that you follow these steps to trouble shoot:

Thank you

Kate Korber

Learning & Teaching Leader

ANNELIESE GAULTON

To the wonderful community at STM,

I’d sincerely like to thank all of the wonderful people I have been able to work with, and for, over the last 14 years. The STM Community has been a part of my life for such a significant time and it has absolutely shaped me as the person I am today. Thank you to the beautiful students who have been the reason for everything, to those supportive parents who have helped to lift and sustain the school as it has grown from strength to strength over the years, and to the incredible staff and leadership team who have given their all - even when it was hard. I have just so many memories to treasure and I wish STM all the best as it moves forward into the next era. God bless you all over this Christmas period and into the next year and beyond. It has been a privilege.

Anneliese

KATE KORBER

To our beautiful STM Community

After 14 years, the words on this page are not going to do justice the way I feel about this tremendous school. As someone who lives on the other side of Melbourne, travelling an hour each way to get here, I have always said that the reason I travel so far is simple. It's the people. It has been a privilege to be part of one of the best schools in Melbourne. The people have made STM what it is today. The staff, the children, the families who love to learn and are proud of this incredible place. Personally and professionally, I have experienced both the best times and the hardest times in my life here with this community. I've learned so much from the opportunities afforded to me, and through the people I've come to meet - staff and families alike - I leave with a full heart. I thank you all for the incredible experiences, for the relationships, for the memories. I am so grateful that I have been able to be part of such a dynamic and passionate place, where the staff truly put the children at the centre of all we do.

I wish you all my love and best wishes for your years ahead. I hope it is filled with love, laughter and good health. Merry Christmas to you all.

Kate Korber

JANINE CINCOTTA

It has been a pleasure to work with the wonderful STM community. I don't know where the years have gone. I appreciate that the wellbeing of our students and families has always been at the centre of all that we do. The past few years of Covid-19 and Remote Learning tested us in many ways to stay united and strong for our families.

Thank you to everyone who has always worked in partnership with us to support the mental health and wellbeing of your children. Working with us and supporting us always helped us come to the best outcomes.

I am very blessed to have worked alongside talented and passionate staff and leaders and take with me many wonderful memories and friendships. I wish you all the very best for the years ahead and may your children continue to thrive on the journey with you by their side.

2023

Thursday 26^th January Australia Day

Friday 27^th January STAFF RETURN TO SCHOOL (NO STUDENTS)

Monday 30^th January Prep students commence first full day of school

Monday 30^th January Year 1 – Year 6 students - Individual student testing day (by appointment only) see below

Tuesday 31^st January Preps at school as per usual

Tuesday 31^st January Year 1 – Year 6 students - Individual student testing day (by appointment only) see below

Wednesday 01^st February Preps not at school – Prep testing day (by appointment only)

Wednesday 01^st February Year 1 – Year 6 students commence their first full day at school

Thursday 2^nd February Whole school in attendance

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

Every Victorian child should have access to the world of learning opportunities that exist beyond the classroom. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational and fun activities. It is part of making Victoria the Education State and the Government’s commitment to breaking the link between a student’s background and their outcomes.

CAMPS, SPORTS & EXCURSIONS FUND (CSEF)

School camps provide children with inspiring experiences in the great outdoors. Excursions encourage a deeper understanding of how the world works while sports teach teamwork, discipline and leadership. All are a part of a healthy curriculum.

CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

The annual CSEF amount per student is:

• $125 for primary school students

• $225 for secondary school students

HOW TO APPLY

New applicants should contact the school office to obtain a CSEF application form or download from the website below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qsXXfBqUkkhrRs2mIPyrswRDZhdpzTBr/view?usp=share_link

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about CSEF visit:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

If you applied for CSEF this year in 2022 at St Thomas More, your information will automatically roll over therefore you do not need to complete an application form for 2023 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.

You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred:

· new student enrolments; your child has started or changed schools this year.

· changed family circumstances; such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing next year.

Check with the school office if you are unsure.

WE NEED YOUR HELP IN 2023! - SIGN UP TO ONE THING!

As of the time of publishing this newsletter, we have not had any volunteers for any positions on our STMPA executive or to coordinate events in term 1. We want our community to know that unless we have the help from our parent community, key events cannot go ahead (ie. Easter Raffle, Mothers Day / Fathers day events, Trivia night etc). If everyone signed up to ONE THING, it would spread the load! We encourage you to find a friend, sign up to one thing and then??? Don't worry about anything else! Being part of our STMPA is an awesome way to meet other parents and give back to the school. Your kids will also love seeing you involved! Remember....JUST ONE THING!

We are looking for volunteers to for our STMPA Executive committee as well as coordinators to run key events throughout the year, particularly for the term 1 events: Easter Raffle and Hot Cross Bun drive. If you are interested, please click on the table below. Add your name to the area of interest, and add your contact details on the second tab. Note for school events, please scroll down to the bottom of the page. Class reps will be organised once classes have been announced.

We encourage friends to get together to do any of the roles. All events have online folders with documents and resources to support coordinators! Please tap on the file below and add your details directly to the spreadhseet.

Sleep tips for kids

Regularity and routine are the agents of sleep. It takes discipline to adhere to and commitment to making sleep a high priority. Helping kids understand how their body clock works, assisting them to work out their optimal bedtime and putting lifestyle habits in place can help them get the sleep they need to maximise their learning, wellbeing, development and overall performance. Here are some tips to help:

Understand the body clock

Sleep is regulated by a 24-hour body clock that manages the secretion of melatonin to send us to sleep and cortisol to wake us up. This amazing body clock is reset every day when light first hits our retinas. Sleep in late and the clock goes out of synch. When your child works with the rhythms of their body’s 24-hour clock they will give themselves the optimal chance for sleep success.

The sleep-wake cycle for teenagers is delayed by up to two hours. That is, they are sleepy later and awake later than when they were children. Melatonin, which makes them sleepy, is secreted as late as 11.00pm for some young people, which makes the time before bed-time a sleepless zone. Cortisol, the chemical that wakes them up is released at close to 8.00am for many teens. If this is the case, your young person’s brain wants to be asleep when they need to be awake for school.

Stick to sleep recommendations

The Raising Children’s Network recommends between 11-13 hours sleep per night for young children, 10-11 hours for primary school children and 8-10 hours for secondary school-aged kids. As every child is different, you may notice that your child needs more or less sleep than is recommended.

Develop good sleep hygiene habits

• Start a regular bedtime routine at least 45 minutes out from bedtime to help kids get ready for sleep.

• Eat and exercise at the right time. Sleep likes a relaxed body and a calm nervous system, so schedule exercise and active movement before mealtimes.

• Create a sleep sanctuary. Restrict bedrooms to sleep and relaxation quarters and find other places in the house for time out and reflection, school work and active play.

• Keep bedrooms cave-like. A child’s bedroom should be cave-like – that is, dark, cool and free from electronic devices. Darkness encourages melatonin, which regulates sleep-wake patterns.

• Get up at a regular time. For optimal sleep, bed and wake up times need to be as regular as possible.

Lifestyle habits that promote sleep

• Teach your child or young person to put away digital devices at least ninety minutes before bed-time

• Minimise weekend sleep-ins and limit them to an hour more than usual, to keep the sleep clock operating on a regular basis

• Encourage your child to go outside every day – take a walk, meet a mate (subject to COVID restrictions) or do an errand

• Keep homework out of bedrooms, or at least out of beds. The brain associates activity with location, so if kids work while on their beds, it will be hard for them to mentally switch off from their schoolwork when the light finally goes out.

• Confine caffeine to mornings. Consuming caffeine in any form close to bedtime is like throwing a wrecking ball through regular sleep patterns. The brain needs to calm down rather than be artificially stimulated if sleep is to occur.

Sleep is a critical component of enhancing a child’s wellbeing, learning, development and overall performance. Helping your child to get enough quality sleep will ensure that their brain and body are being used at full capacity.

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