About Us
Principal’s Message
Welcome to the St Thomas the Apostle Greensborough North website. On behalf of the St Thomas School community, I would like to warmly welcome you to our school. We believe that parents need to be fully informed on all matters related to their child’s education and encourage you to explore this website thoroughly. It will assist you to become familiar with the routines, policies and information needed for a smooth transition into school life.
Our school is a learning community and has conducted extensive building projects to create a 21st Century facility. Our teachers model a love of learning and children are actively encouraged to set their own educational goals. As educators in a Catholic school, our aim is to promote living and learning in faith. We seek to support you in your role as parents in nurturing your children so that they can live their lives and strive to reach their full potential. We aim to provide a learning environment which is stimulating, innovative, positive and purposeful.
There are many opportunities for parents to work in partnership with the school. By being involved we strengthen the bonds of communication between parents and teachers as well as involving you with classroom learning and the myriad of activities that take place in and around the school. Of course there are the more formal opportunities to participate including the Advisory Board and the School Community Association. Parents are one of our greatest resources, so we encourage all parents to be involved in the school wherever possible. The spirit of the schools foundations challenges us to work together to form a community which is respectful, safe and supportive and which provides the opportunity for all its members to live and learn in faith.
We hope that your time at St Thomas the Apostle Primary School will be very happy and successful. Being Principal of such a great school is a privilege; it brings me much joy and many opportunities for learning and developing relationships.
The school promotes and supports the principles of Australian Democracy, including a commitment to elected government, the rule of law, equal rights to all before the law, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and association and the values of openness and tolerance.
May God bless you and your family,.
David Delaney
Principal
School Overview
St Thomas the Apostle has an enrolment of 352 students and has had steady enrolment patterns over the past few years. Our suburb is in a green belt area and there are recreational spaces and sporting facilities for students in the area. We have commenced a $3M renovation of the school buildings which we expect will be completed mid-2021. Newly refurbished Prep classrooms will open for the commencement of the 2021 school year. Technology has taken another leap and all Year 3 & 4 students have access to 1 to 1 Chromebooks and all Year 5 & 6 students have their own allocated iPad, these tools are a significant part of their daily learning and have been a great benefit to our students during the COVID-19 periods of Remote Learning throughout 2020.
We have 16 classes of approximately 24 in each class. The years 3 to 6 classes are in a multi-age structure with four 3/4 classes and five 5/6 classes, the remaining classes are straight classes. These classes are located in four different buildings and each building is well set up with equipment and appropriate resources for the classes. Covered walkways connect the buildings. Our Discovery Centre is equipped with an amazing amount of resources and technology. This centre is also used to hold various extra curricula activities at lunchtime.
This Discovery Centre is used extensively as a library and a centre for interactive activities. We are working towards becoming a sustainable school and our organic garden is used by all students across the week. Students also work in the domestic kitchen which supports the Stephanie Alexander program. This kitchen is quite a big feature of our school and is always included in any major school events we hold throughout the year.
Results for literacy and numeracy are derived from NAPLAN and our own internal testing regime which occurs across every term. We have also focused on building in several special needs support programs which are to support students more at risk. This also includes providing extension programs for the students who show aptitude in literacy and numeracy. Various parenting nights and professional learning opportunities are offered to families throughout the year.
Restorative practice is well developed across the school and recently the school has purchased buddy seats to give children opportunities to meet new friends on the yard. Peer mediation is also present on the yard and the student leadership team take extra responsibilities to support younger students who may be having difficulty in finding friends or dealing with conflict. School rules and class rules all link to our whole school vision, as well as our various supportive programs, which focus on building emotional stamina in our students.
As a school we are very aware that we work in close partnership with families. Parents are invited into many aspects of school life and we are blessed with very successful parents associations supporting the school in a variety of ways. We know that parents are keen to be active members of our school and opportunities are provided for families to participate in the many and varied school activities throughout the year.
Our School Improvement Plan drives our work annually and is developed after reflecting on all school data. The learning and teaching component of our Annual Action Plan has many aspects to consider. Primarily it is about ongoing improvement in key areas of learning and teaching. Professional development for staff is also driven from the annual action plan as staff need to keep abreast of contemporary teaching styles and current thinking about best teaching practice.
St Thomas ensures that our support for students in wellbeing is at the forefront of our work. We appreciate that social and emotional support will enrich all aspects of the learning and that children need to feel safe and experience a trusting relationship with their teacher. Our staff are very capable in focusing on ensuring the wellbeing of students and are quick to address any matters that impact on learning. We have a very successful orientation program which gives new families a clear understanding of how children are guided and supported in their early transitional period starting school.
We have large play areas including a full size basketball stadium that is closely linked with St Thomas Basketball Club.
St Thomas is about supporting the student, spiritually, intellectually, emotionally and socially. The strategies we use are linked into our vision which focusses clearly on Gospel Values.
Our Vision and Mission
Guided by the Spirit, we empower a community of excellence and life-long learners who are inspired to make a positive difference to our world.
At St. Thomas the Apostle Primary School we believe:
That the true message of the Gospel should be modelled by all members of the school community and therefore become a lived reality;
That the Catholic traditions, ideals, values and attitudes should be fostered through a comprehensive Religious Education Program which includes rich experiences in Scripture and Liturgy;
That through the use of a variety of structures and teaching strategies all children will be encouraged to reach their full potential;
That the curriculum should be challenging and relevant to the needs of individual students. It should be sequential, encourage independence and support the learning continuum of life;
That the skills and talents of all Staff are recognised and valued and that through peer support and professional development opportunities, Staff are assisted both personally and professionally to achieve excellence;
That through positive relationships we create an environment where there is a sense of belonging, acceptance, respect, growth and support for each other within our community
Facilities
St Thomas the Apostle School prides itself on setting goals for the future which will enable the children to be exposed to current educational trends and state of the art resources.
St Thomas the Apostle Primary School has:
- Spacious and attractive ground that are well developed. These grounds include passive and active play areas.
- Technology that enables students to learn in an interactive environment where contemporary tools are used all classrooms.
- A multipurpose gymnasium – used for school assemblies, Physical Education program, Performing Arts events, community gatherings and information nights.
- A Stephanie Alexander program including sustainable garden and kitchen.
- Out of school hours programs – managed by OSHClub.
- Quality extra curricular activities organised by student leaders and supported by staff including chess, coding, Mini Vinnies, basketball and art makers clubs.
Enrolment Information
It is our goal to ensure that those families who desire a Catholic education are supported to achieve this desire. It is also our aim that those who join our community be they teachers, students or families, value our educational aims, which have been developed and lived in the Gospel spirit of freedom and love.
Enrolment Process
Application for Enrolment must be made on the official Enrolment Form. Students must turn 5 years before 30th April of the year in which they wish to commence school.
Following lodgement of application, confirmation of application for enrolment will be acknowledged in writing. When a position is available an offer will be made in writing. To accept the position, the place of offer must be acknowledged along with payment of a non-refundable fee.
Priority Acceptance
Applicants will be accepted in the following order:
- Siblings of students already in the School
- Catholic students from within the Parish boundaries
- Catholics from outside the Parish boundaries
- Others who meet the requirements as set out in this Policy
Enrolment of students with special needs
Students, who have special needs and require additional support to ensure adequate access to educational programs, will be assisted through the support of an Enrolment Support Group. Families seeking enrolment for such a student should request this assistance when making application.
Uniform
St Thomas has a School Uniform which must be worn by all students. Details are contained in the PARENT INFORMATION BOOKLET 2020.
We, as a school, realise that there are many questions that you may wish to ask.
To attempt to try and answer these questions in the easiest possible way, we have formulated a “Parent Information” booklet.
General Policies
Wellbeing Policies
St Thomas the Apostle School community is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. This will remain the primary focus of our care and decision-making.
There are new Child Safe Standards in Victoria, to better protect children from harm and abuse. More information about the 11 Child Safe Standards can be found here https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/