Dear St Thomas Aquinas community,

Thank you to our wonderful Year 3 teachers, Ms Cassidy and Mrs Snow, and the Year 3 students for an entertaining and informative Assembly on Friday. It was a lot of fun! Both teachers worked very hard to help the students perform at their best.

Thank you also to 6 Blue, Mr Finn, Mr Collins and Ms Mudford for leading us through a smoking ceremony and prayer celebration for Reconciliation Week. Thank you to Ngunnawal Elder Uncle Djibin for the welcome to country and smoking ceremony that began our prayer liturgy. Connecting with our own history and heritage is incredibly important as we create an inclusive community for all. The opportunity for our First Nations friends to freely live fundamental part of their identity we must prioritise every effort towards reconciliation. Year 6 Blue helped us continue that journey with another small and beautiful step last Thursday.

Confirmation Celebration

The Sacrament of Confirmation is a deeply meaningful milestone in the faith journey of our students. On Friday evening, we proudly celebrated with many of our Year 6 students as they received the gifts of the Holy Spirit as part of a beautiful and joyful Mass. Their commitment to living out their faith is an inspiration to our entire school community. We thank our families, parish, and staff for their guidance and support in preparing the children for this special occasion.

Archbishop Christopher was the main celebrant for a very full church. Frs Tru and Chung con-celebrated Mass and beamed as our students presented themselves respectfully and with openness to the moment. We thank the Archbishop for his passion for stirring people's hearts towards understanding and living in God's love.

Please keep our Years 3 and 4 students in your prayers and thoughts as they prepare for the sacrament of First Eucharist.

Three-Way Conferences

Three-way conferences are coming up. They are a vital part of our learning journey, bringing together parents, students, and teachers to share insights and goals. These meetings support open communication, helping everyone understand each child’s progress and unique strengths. When parents and teachers collaborate with the child at the center, it empowers students to take ownership of their learning and builds confidence. Together, we create a supportive environment that encourages growth, curiosity, and success. We value these conversations as a key way to strengthen our partnership and ensure every child thrives both academically and personally. Please follow the prompts in your Compass Portal to book in early.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Matthew Garton

Principal

STA is excited to present the Lamont Book Fair! 
26 June 2025 - 2 July 2025

St Thomas Aquinas Primary, West Belconnen, invites parents and carers to the 3 Way Conferences for Semester 1. Please select the timeslot that best suits your family by visiting the Compass Parent Portal. Your child should also come along to this meeting.

The Conferences will be held on Tuesday 24th June between 3:00pm and 7:00pm and Wednesday 25th June bertween 8:00am - 9:00am and again between 3:00pm - 6:00pm. Each Conference will be for a maximum of 15 minutes.

Please note that bookings will close strictly at 3:00pm on Friday 20th June 2025.

Please book through the Compass Parent Portal under Conferences. 

This year marks a truly special milestone—the 50th Anniversary of St Thomas Aquinas Primary School! As we prepare for this exciting celebration, we’re reaching out to alumni, former staff, students, and the wider community to help us bring the history of our school to life.

We’re looking for school memorabilia to showcase during our anniversary events. This could include:

• Old photographs

• Yearbooks

• Uniforms

• Awards or certificates

• Event programs or tickets

• School newspapers

• Personal stories or memories

If you have anything you’d like to share, please contact us at office.staquinas@cg.catholic.edu.au or drop items off to the Assistant Principal, Carmen Myles. We will handle all items with care and can return them upon request.

Let’s come together to honor the past and inspire the future. Thank you for being part of our story.

We are still on the search for a Treasurer for 2026 when Stephen Kiley steps down from the position. If this is something you think you could help with, please complete the below nomination form. It would be a great opportunity to join now to work alongside Stephen and learn the ropes in a very supported environment. 

Further, we are also on the search for an ELC Representative for the remainder of 2025. Please complete the below nomination if you can help. 

Community Council (SCC) Nomination Form

June

Millie A, Leilani MH, Emilia S, Maddison J, Samin MT, Emily M, Lucas T, Alyssa L,
Phoebe S, Anna D, Om B, Charles E, Ivy LH, Angok C, Violet W, Emma O, Isabelle N, Jeremiel P, Nash H, Arlo S, Axel S, Aleisha MA, Leo W, Tori D, Georgia R, Layla S,
Kenji T, Jordan C, Lexi K, George B-C, Anabel E, Nella W-S, Mackenzie C, Jogaak A, Rayansh K, Mason L, Annabelle L, Lucas G, Xavier O

Reconnect ACT is an early intervention and prevention program for individuals and their families/ carers, who are experiencing family breakdown with communication, disengagement from school or employment, disconnection from community, and/or are at risk of homelessness for themselves or their families. The program's aim is to bring families together and re-engagement with day to day activities for the adolescent.

The Youth and Family case manager can provide support for up to 3 months and is free of charge. Please visit the below link for further information.

https://mccg.org.au/services/reconnect-act/

To boost education opportunities and narrow the digital divide, the Australian Government is providing up to 30,000 qualifying families with school age children a free NBN service. The Initiative has been extended meaning:

• Families can continue to sign up to access the initiative in 2025, until all available 30,000 places have been filled. 
• All families, existing and new, will receive free internet until 30 June 2028.

The Government has invested $13.7 million to implement the Initiative in partnership with NBN Co.

To qualify families and carers must:

• Have a school age student at home (full or part time), enrolled in an Australian school (up to year 12 including Prep in Qld/Vic/Tas, Kindergarten in NSW, Reception in SA, Transition in NT/ACT and Pre-Primary in WA).
• Not have an active NBN network internet service at your current residential address now or in the past 14 days (having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility).
• Live in a premise that can access the NBN network through a standard connection.

To apply or for further information please click here. Remedption of this offer must take place by Monday 30th June 2025.