Term 2 Week 6

It has been an absolute joy to receive such a warm welcome back to St Thomas School. I am thrilled to return as Acting Deputy Principal and to once again be part of this welcoming community. If you see me out in the yard or on duty, please don’t hesitate to stop for a chat.

This Sunday, the Catholic Church celebrates Pentecost, marking the end of the Easter Season and the moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles. For us as a Catholic school, Pentecost is a powerful reminder of how the Holy Spirit continues to guide, inspire, and strengthen us in our mission. As we encourage our students to live with compassion, courage, and faith, we trust that the Spirit guides us on our call to serve.

On June 5, it is World Environment Day, a global call to protect and nurture our planet. This year’s theme challenges us to reflect on how we can restore and sustain our natural world. At St Thomas, this resonates deeply with our commitment to Pope Francis’ message in Laudato Si’, which calls us to care for our common home. As stewards of God’s creation, we are called to act with urgency, responsibility, and hope - values that we aim to instil in our students through everyday practices and community initiatives.

Growth Mindset – 5 Ways to help children build positive relationships

Dealing with child conflict is a daily part of our role as educators. Conflict amongst children is normal and our role as parents and educators is to nurture positive relationships and continue to model growth mindset when challenges arise. Children thrive on healthy positive connection with others. Quality relationships are one of the strongest predictors of wellbeing. Early connections to caring adults and peers result in greater feelings of self-worth, higher achievement and even better mental health in adulthood.

Here are 5 Ways to create the conditions for supporting children to build positive relationships:

1. Model Respect - Model respect for your child by listening, caring about their feelings and staying calm when you’re upset.
2. Practice Mindful Speech - Before we speak our words should pass through three gates.

• Is it true?
• Is it helpful?
• Is it kind?

3. Disagree Respectfully - Teach children how to assert themselves respectfully during conflict. Even in tricky moments, children can learn to disagree in ways that maintains the other person’s self-respect.
4. Embrace Diversity
5. Teach Empathy - Empathy is a key component in positive relationships, it deepens sensitivity and attachment to others.

Thank you once again for the warm welcome. I’m truly looking forward to the term ahead and all that we will share together.

Blessings for the week ahead,

Melissa Canil

A New Focus on High-Impact Teaching and Student Engagement

At St Thomas, we are excited to share our whole-school commitment to using evidence-based teaching practices that support every child to succeed. This year, we are focusing on three powerful approaches: the Science of Learning, Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI), and 100% Participation Tactics.

What is the Science of Learning?

The Science of Learning draws on research from psychology and neuroscience about how the brain best takes in, retains, and uses information. This research tells us that children learn best when content is clear, reviewed regularly, and taught in manageable steps with opportunities for practice and feedback to allow for metacognition.

What is Explicit Direct Instruction?

Explicit Direct Instruction is a structured, proven teaching method where teachers:

Clearly explain and model each new concept

Break learning into small, achievable steps

Ask frequent questions to check for understanding

Guide students through practice before expecting independent work

This approach helps ensure that no child is left behind, especially when learning new or challenging material. It also builds strong foundational skills that students can build on across all subjects.

What are 100% Participation Tactics?

To ensure every student is actively involved in their learning, our teachers are using strategies that encourage all students to engage at all times—not just those who raise their hands. These include:

Use of mini whiteboards for written responses

Turn-and-talk activities to share thinking with a partner

Random name selection to encourage readiness

Choral responses and gestures to reinforce learning

These simple but powerful techniques boost engagement, accountability, and confidence, while making sure that all voices are heard and valued.

We believe that by combining these approaches, we are creating classrooms where every child is supported, every child is challenged, and every child is learning. We look forward to keeping you updated as we continue to strengthen our teaching practices—and most importantly, your children’s learning outcomes. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Laura Donnellan

Year 6 Teacher and Leader of Learning