Newsletter Term 4 Week 2 2025

Principal's Message

Welcome back to Term 4, what is always seen as the busiest term of the year. Two weeks in and already lots of events have taken place.

Year 5/6 School Camp in Sydney

What an incredible week our Year 5/6 students had on their Sydney school camp! Accompanied by our amazing staff - Amber Thomson, Morgan Murray, Jasmine Fisk, Angela Bartkowiak, Sally Cameron, Nicole Joyce, Geoff Ryan, and Luke Mooney. The students enjoyed a jam-packed few days full of fun, learning, and adventure. I was lucky enough to spend the last night and day with them, and it was wonderful to see their enthusiasm firsthand.

The students were a joy to be with. They were polite, kind, and fully engaged in every activity. Taronga Zoo proved to be the standout for many, with encounters with exotic animals and unforgettable experiences. Students also loved exploring The Rocks on their walking tour, taking in the history, and soaking up the atmosphere. The walk from Bronte to Bondi provided spectacular views and plenty of fresh sea air, and visiting the home of Saint Mary MacKillop gave everyone a meaningful and memorable experience.

By Friday afternoon, we had a bus full of tired but happy campers, each with stories and memories to treasure.

A huge thank you to our dedicated staff whose energy, care, and organisation made this camp such a success. It was a truly memorable experience for everyone involved!

Confirmation Mass Tomorrow Evening

Tomorrow at the 6:00 pm Mass, 49 students from our school and parish will celebrate their Confirmation, receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen them on their faith journey. Parents have been attending family group sessions to support their children in preparing for this special sacrament.

This year, the sacrament will be conferred by Archbishop Christopher Prowse, a significant and inspiring moment for our students. His presence brings added meaning to the occasion, for our students and community.

We look forward to celebrating this important milestone with our students, their families, and the parish community.

SCC Open Meeting new date: Monday 3 November

Our School Community Council (SCC) Open Meeting, originally planned for this week, has been postponed to Monday 3 November. We made this decision after hearing from a number of parents and carers who were keen to attend but unable to make the original date.

We’re hopeful that the new date will allow more families to come along and take part in the discussions about what 2025 has brought and our positive planning for 2026.

To make it easier for families to attend, Team Kids will again provide child minding, and there will be refreshments for adults and pizza for students.

All parents and carers are welcome; everyone is part of our SCC! Please register your attendance using this link, so we can cater accordingly.

We look forward to a great turnout and another evening of lively conversation and shared ideas.

Staff update 

As we look ahead to 2026, we have a few updates regarding our wonderful staff.

As already announced, we will be farewelling Geoff Ryan, who will be taking up a new role as Religious Education Coordinator at Holy Family School in Gowrie. We thank Geoff for his contributions to our school community and wish him every success in his new position.

Natasha Pank, who has been a valued member of our teaching team for the past 12 years, has been promoted to Coordinator and will be moving to St John’s Florey. We congratulate Natasha on this well-deserved achievement and wish her all the best in her new role.

This week, Bianca Breen commenced her maternity leave. We send our warmest wishes to Bianca and Taylor as they prepare to welcome their new daughter into the world. We will provide an update soon regarding who will be teaching The Arts for the remainder of the year.

Following recent interviews for our 2026 teaching team, we are delighted to announce that Janelle McCabe and Olivia Maher, who have both been Classroom Support Assistants and part-time teachers, will now join our teaching staff full-time next year.

We are also thrilled to welcome Lisa McMahon to our team. An accomplished and experienced teacher with nearly 30 years in the classroom, Lisa will be joining us from Good Shepherd, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

Finally, Georgia Kennedy will be returning for the first eight weeks of the new school year before beginning her maternity leave, as she and her husband Mark are expecting their first child in April.

Team Kids Holiday Program 

It was great to hear such positive feedback from the recent Team Kids Holiday Program held here at St Thomas the Apostle. Gemma, our dedicated Service Coordinator, shared how pleased she was with the way students fully participated in all the activities, including both the incursions and excursions. She commented that the children got along beautifully and that I would have been proud to see how they interacted and engaged — a real reflection of our school’s spirit and values.

From my point of view, I am so pleased that we have such a successful and dynamic organisation delivering our Out of School Hours program. It’s reassuring to know that our students are not only well cared for but also genuinely happy to attend and take part in such enriching experiences. Team Kids operates before and after school each day as well as over the school holidays.

Bike Riding Program Rolling Along Brilliantly!

Our Years 3–6 bike riding program has really taken off! Each day, the bike racks are packed highlighting how many students are enjoying riding both during the program and to and from school. Even some of our teachers have joined in, setting a great example for the students.

It’s fantastic to see everyone embracing cycling for fun, fitness, and the environment. The enthusiasm has been contagious, and if it keeps up, we might just need to add a few more bike racks!

Ride and Walk to School Day

Next Friday, we’re celebrating Ride and Walk to School Day. It’s a fantastic way for students and families to get moving, enjoy the fresh air, and start the day on a healthy note.

To make the morning even more enjoyable, Team Kids will have a coffee van on site, serving free coffee and hot chocolate for parents and carers from 7:30 am to 9:30 am. A perfect way to fuel up while supporting our active students!

Our magnificent Sports Coordinator, Laura Vandenbroucke, will be sending out more information next week. We are hoping to see as many students as possible walking, riding, and enjoying the morning together.

Boorowa Touch and Netball Carnival

As this newsletter goes out to families, our students who travelled to Boorowa today for the annual Touch Football and Netball Carnival will be making their way back to school after what’s sure to have been a fantastic day.

The Boorowa Carnival is always a highlight on the sporting calendar and is a great opportunity for students to play, connect, and represent our school with pride. A big thank you to the parents who generously gave their time to coach and manage the teams, and to our staff members Amber Thomson, Angela Bartkowiak, and Luke Mooney for accompanying and supporting the students throughout the day.

If you are leaving St Thomas the Apostle in 2026

If your family is planning on leaving St Thomas the Apostle at the end of 2025 (and your child is NOT in Year 6), please email the office at: office.sttapkambah@cg.catholic.edu.au as soon as possible.

St Thomas the Apostle Fete

 Our Fete on Saturday 8 November cannot occur without the support of our community, and we are looking for volunteers to help on the day before and/or day of the fete.

We're using SignUp (the leading online SignUp and reminder tool) to organise our volunteers.

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link to see our volunteer options on SignUp: https://signup.com/go/bwDPNAc

2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.

3) Sign up! It's Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.

Note: SignUp does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact the school or parish offices.

A reminder that we are selling ride passes, activity bags and Pick a Prize tickets before and after school.

Mufti Day Friday 31 October

Next Friday, we will be having our final Mufti Day for our fete. We are asking families to bring in a block of chocolate for wearing ‘free clothes’. As this day falls on the Day for Daniel, we invite students to wear a touch of red.

Have a great weekend everyone.

RE "Jubilee Year - Pilgrim of Hope"

Catholic Mission Day

Thank you for your generous donations for Catholic Mission last term. We raised just over $1600 which will make a positive impact for communities in Zambia.

Sacramental Information

We keep all the students who are celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation this weekend in our prayers. Big congratulations to these students as they take this important step on their faith journey.

For any inquiries about Baptism, please contact the Parish Office on 6231 9219. Sacramental information for 2026 will be sent out next year.

Geoff Ryan
REC

Upcoming Events

Term Information Letters

Please see the links below for the Term Information letters:

Sports Days Term 4

Kindergarten: Wednesday and Friday

Yr 1: Wednesday and Friday

Yr 2: Tuesday and Friday

Yr 3/4: Tuesday and Friday

Yr 5/6: Monday and Wednesday (Weeks 1-4), Wednesday and Friday (Weeks 5-10)

Awards Term 4 Week 2 2025

Congratulations to the following students received an award this week. The awards will be presented to the students at morning assembly on Monday 27 October by Mrs Jamieson.

Paige K
Crystal B

Mathematical Olympiads Certificates

Presented to all students that attended

Library News

Photos - STEM Kinder Dot Day

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Birthdays

Happy Birthday
to the following students and staff
who are celebrating a birthday

Raphael C
Anastasia S
Arlen S
Rowan R
Freddy N
Benjamin J
Gabriele P
Lachlan  W
Benjamin T
Sophia F
Xavier J 
Leonardo B
Eve T
Francis G
Gabrielle H
Ms Joyce
Mrs Rastar

Book Club

The Changing Face of Cyberbullying

Fete Bake Days

Fete Craft Stall

We are in need for people to make handmade items for our craft stall.

We need Christmas decorations, Christmas wreaths and Christmas bonbons. These can be made with felt or fabric.

We also need baby toys (knitted or crotched) and jewellery (in good condition).

Please help if you can.

We are also in need of helpers on the fete day. If you can spare a 12 hour or 1 hour that would be very much appreciated.

Any craft donations can be left with Elizabeth in the Parish Office.

Please call Trudie on 0419 293 190 if you can help in any way.

We will also have craft afternoons in the Parish Centre. More details to follow.

TeamKids News

It’s time for a spook-tacular celebration!
TeamKids is brewing up some fang-tastic fun next week for Halloween! 🕸️
There’ll be costumes, games, and treats so good it’s un-BOO-lievable!
Don’t miss out on all the frightful fun! 🦇

Photos - Year 5/6 Camp

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Book about History of St Thomas Apostle Parish

Deanne Calisthenics Club