Dear Families,

We are nearing the halfway point of the final term for 2022 and finally the weather is becoming warmer.

A huge thank you to those families and the STMPA who supported the Bunnings BBQ on Sunday. We were able to raise $3000 which is a great achievement. We are very grateful for the wonderful families that gave their time to help out!

On Friday we were delighted to be able to have our first whole school assembly together in the Hall after over 12 months of being online. I warmly invite families to join us for our assembly on November 18. We will begin assembly at 2:30pm and families are able to enter the school from either the Angus Street or North Street.

Over the past few weeks classes have been attending Mass and I was able to attend last Friday. It is great that we can come together and celebrate Eucharist. I congratulate the students in being so reverent at Mass. Thank you also to the parents who could attend.

We have been successful in our submission for a Capital Fund Grant to the amount of 2 million dollars. The money will be used to upgrade our facilities and buildings. Thank you to Anneliese who composed and submitted the grant application. I will be attending meetings over the next few months to finalise details and I will keep families updated with any progress.

On Friday I will be attending the Remembrance Day at The Shrine with the year 5 and 6 students and staff. Thank you to Kate Korber for working with our year 3 and 4 leaders to prepare a service for Friday onsite. The service will be read over the PA at 11am on Friday.

I would like to congratulate our Year 6 Softballers in attending the Regional Finals on Monday. The girls team won 1 out of the 3 games and the boys lost their games but in close matches.

I would like to wish Laura Labiris all the very best as she finishes up this week, Laura has been incredible in her NCCD role. From all of us at STM we would like to thank you for your support and dedication to helping our students be their best! I would also like to congratulate Natalie Galletta on her recent engagement, what an exciting time. We wish you and Michael all the very best for the next exciting chapter of your lives.

We would like to acknowledge Hayden McDonnell and Tiffany Carbone on their achievements and their representation of our school. Please read their story in the 'Student Achievement' section below.

NATIONAL RECYCLING WEEK - see poster below

Linking in with our Inquiry this term, this week we have a whole school focus on NATIONAL RECYCLING WEEK. Each year level is asked to complete a special recycling craft / design that focuses on the theme this year 'It's not waste until it's wasted'. We have also launched a community recycling challenge for families to create something new out of something old. They are to be brought to school on Tuesday November 22. The children will vote for their favourite creation with the winner winning a $100 Bunnings voucher!

Start dates for 2023

Please see below information regarding the beginning of the school year 2023. Bookings for beginning of year testing will open on December 15 at 9:30am. Families will receive an email later this term regarding booking.

Transition

During fourth term, transition into secondary school ramps up for our seniors with testing and orientation days, book and uniform purchases and anticipation about the unknown consuming much time, energy and thoughts.

Our new Preps for next year are doing much the same, but hopefully our extended transition with More Learning has minimised the stress levels for both the children and their parents. Our 2023 Preps came to school as a whole group for the first time on Monday and Tuesday, and will be back Tuesday week. This will complete their transition spending quality time with their home room group and their teacher for 2023. More learning will continue until close to the end of the year in its original format.

Testing

Testing for end of year reports will continue during the next couple of weeks to give our children every opportunity to show us how much growth they have made. Please ensure that our children are at school on time, every day and only miss out when they are too sick to be around others or it is absolutely necessary.

2022 Election

St Thomas More school hall will be used as a polling booth on Saturday the 26th of November 2022. Access to the hall will only be from Angus St (North St entry via church car park will be closed).

Before School Drop Off

This is just a reminder for parents that you are able to drop off your child/ren from 8:30am from either Angus Street or North Street. We have had some children being dropped off before this time. We only have students supervised from 8:30am so it is important that children are only entering the school from 8:30am.

Thank you all for you continued support this term,

David Hurn

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)*

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)*

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

*Information about booking a testing time will be sent out in a seperate email in due course

This week, as part of National Recycling Week we are launching a community challenge. The challenge is to make something new out of something old.

Children are encouraged to make something with their families and then bring it to school on November 22. The kids will then vote for their favourite creation (much like we did with the Lego competitions) . The winning creation will win a $100 Bunnings voucher.

WE NEED YOUR HELP IN 2023!

At this stage, 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!

You have choices

What drives kids’ behaviour? Is it impulse, mood, emotion, age or genes that cause kids to be sociable and safe or unsociable and risky?

The motivating forces behind kids’ actions are as complex as the many behavioural theories that have done the rounds over the years. Psychiatrist Sigmund Freud suggested that most behaviour is driven by internal desires, which were difficult to control. “Boys will be boys!”

His colleague Alfred Adler believed that behaviour is driven by the need to find a place within our groups. “Would someone pay me some attention!”

Development psychologist Jean Piaget suggested that children’s behaviour was largely governed by their stage of development. “It’s just a stage she’s going through.”

All theories have validity but they neglect to highlight something that we’ve always known but not recognised enough – that kids choose how they behave. Their choices may be negatively impacted by tiredness, hunger, or irritability but ultimately, they make a decision to act in certain ways, or step back to let their impulses take over.

There are caveats. A hungry, overtired three year old who is being annoyed by a sibling is unlikely to make a reasoned choice about how they respond. Lashing out, a screech for parental help or an unrestrained tantrum are a more likely response. Parent common sense comes to the fore in determining how to respond to their child when mitigating factors are at play.

“Good choice, Harry”

When a young child is kind to a sibling or friend a parent can praise the behaviour (“It was great to see you be kind, Harry”) or the choice (“Good choice, Harry”).

When parents focus on the decisions kids make we teach them that they have a say in their behaviour. We reach out to their pre frontal cortex – the part of their brain responsible for reasoning – and say, “You’re in charge of how this child behaves. Good for you as you chose well.” Continual reinforcement of choices over time is likely to have a strong impact on how a child perceives himself. Reinforcement of choices places the locus on control on the child, rather than on external factors such as mood, peers and gender as likely causes of poor behaviour.

“You have choices”

A child who misbehaves at home or in social situations can be reminded “You have choices.” It helps if kids experience the consequences of their poor choices rather than be sheltered from them. A child who refuses, which is a choice, to clean up a mess left in the living room may lose those items for a period of time. If they value those items then they may make different choices next time around. Choices teach responsibility, when they are coupled with behavioural consequences.

“Can you make a smarter choice?”

A parent may need to outline some of the choices – walk away from conflict, come to a them for help, do nothing – but ultimately the decision is a child’s to make. Similarly, going over poor choices with a child or young person in a quiet moment after an event can help them reflect and reset their brain for better choices in the future. “What behaviour can you choose next time?” is a helpful question to ask a child or young person who got themselves into a behavioural pickle.

“Choose between these two”

Anecdotal evidence suggests that approximately one in three children don’t like to be told what to do. These kids value control and use resistance strategies such as arguing, negotiation or procrastination to assert their authority. These children can be wearing for parents, but the flipside is, that they generally make assertive adults as long as their spirits aren’t dampened when they are young. The use of choices works well with children who value control over their own actions.

It’s best to give them a choice between two options, which is an illusion of power. “If you stay inside you need to be quiet. If you want to play noisy games you need play outside.” Kids will usually take one of the options offered, provided they’re reasonable, as they feel they are calling the shots.

The focus on choices can start when children are toddlers continuing into adolescence and beyond. It’s an empowering concept that prepares kids to live fully in the civilised society that they will be entering. It balances personal empowerment with personal responsibility, two character traits highly valued by schools, community groups and employers.

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