Thank you to all those parents and staff who came along and listened to Professor Donna Cross on Monday night, organised by our fabulous P&F.

We welcome all our families back for the final term of the year.

Tomorrow, we will be having the Bishop of Bunbury, Bishop Gerard Holohan, visiting our school and meeting with the Year 6 Confirmation Candidates.

What a wonderful afternoon we had, as the Dads came along to join with their children in our annual Colour Run! It was great to see so many families get into the spirit of things and embrace having colour thrown at them. A huge thank you to our amazing P&F, who once again created a fantastic event for all and put on some awesome catering following the run.

What a wonderful night was had last Saturday at our annual Quiz Night. A huge thank you to all those parents and friends who came along to support our school. Our fantastic P&F did an awesome job in organising the evening and sourcing prizes for this event. A special thank you to Mike Goodwin and his band for hosting the event and providing some great music throughout the night. Even though the Staff table was just beaten for first and second place, it was great to see the amazing team come in a clear third…such clear talent!

The Kindy and Year Three students baked up a storm yesterday, making some Vanilla cakes, which were sold to students today. All the money raised goes directly back into the upkeep and maintenance of the Market Garden and Chicken Coop.

Last Sunday, 20 children from our school and the parish received the Sacrament of Eucharist for the very first time. It was wonderful to see the church filled with family, friends and parishioners who came along to be witnesses to this special time in these children’s lives. Like Baptism, the reception of the Eucharist brings us into a closer association with God. Each time we receive the Eucharist we become continually formed to the likeness of Christ and become one with God.

On Monday, our Year 1 students led the school through a lovely Liturgy of the Word in celebration of Australia’s saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. They shared some information and prayers about Mary MacKillop, and I was very proud of the way they read and conducted themselves throughout the Liturgy. Mary MacKillop founded the Order of the Sisters of St Joseph, the founders of our school, when it was known as St Joseph’s Convent School, back before we became St Thomas More Catholic Primary School in 1993. Mary MacKillop had a saying – ‘Never see a need without doing something about it’. This certainly still stands true today, and something we continually try to reinforce with our students.

Today, Mrs Achmad and myself are attending the Catholic Education Leaders’ Roadshow in Bunbury, which provides an opportunity for leaders in the Bunbury Diocese to gather and share experiences during COVID-19 times, look at what is happening in current Catholic education and hearing about plans for improvement to ensure all students in Catholic schools receive a quality Catholic education. We look forward to coming back with some fresh perspectives and good understandings.

On Tuesday evening, 7 St Thomas More students joined with 3 children from the parish to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. I was wonderful to see the way these students turned back to God and sought to restore their friendship with Him. I ask all families to keep these children in your prayers as they continue their faith journey as part of our parish. A special thank you to Mrs Tippett and Mrs Ryan for so carefully preparing the students, Mrs Achmad for her work in organising the celebration and Fr Mat for his work in helping these children come closer to God.