St. Therese Catholic Primary School, Torquay

WELCOME TO OUR DIGITAL NEWSLETTER

It has been another busy and enjoyable fortnight at St Therese, with plenty to celebrate across our school community.

Firstly, welcome to our new digital newsletter platform! We have been working with Modular Media to bring our newsletter into a new format, and we are really pleased with how it has come together. It looks fantastic, is easy to navigate and should make it much simpler for families to find the information they need. Have a play around with it for yourself – you’ll find articles, important dates, contacts and other school information are now much easier to access. We hope you enjoy the new format as much as we do!

Last Friday was a festival of green as our Green House students celebrated MacKillop Day, paying tribute to their House patron, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. The students participated in a prayer service before enjoying games and activities outside and, of course, getting stuck into plenty of green jelly! Importantly, the day also had a strong social justice focus, with students collecting educational donations for MacKillop Services Geelong. Congratulations to our Green House Captains, Ivy and Zoe, for their wonderful leadership, and thank you to Mrs Fagan and Liam for supporting the girls in bringing the day together.

On Saturday, our Grade 6 students celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation. It was a lovely occasion for our students, families and parish community, and we were privileged to have Bishop Martin Ashe present to assist with the celebration. Our Grade 6 students were wonderfully reverent and represented themselves, their families and our school beautifully throughout the ceremony. Congratulations to all of our Confirmation candidates on this important milestone in their faith journey.

Finally, this week we have been celebrating Indonesian Week, with plenty of activities taking place across the school. A real highlight was today’s Indonesian Assembly spectacular – and what a performance it was! It was terrific to see all of our students getting involved, having fun and celebrating Indonesian language and culture with such enthusiasm. A huge thank you to Seravina for coordinating the week and everything that went into today’s assembly. It was great fun once again and a wonderful celebration for our whole school.

Community TV Event

There is a Community TV event happening on Friday morning at the Sands. The Today Show will be broadcasting from The Sands from 6.45 am Friday morning and they would love some local school children to attend. Head on down if you have the time before school.

Year 6

Interschool Girls Football Carnival

Last week, our St Therese Girls Football Team competed in the local interschool carnival and represented our school brilliantly. The girls put up a terrific fight against the other local schools and made their way through to the final, where they went down by just one point to Montpellier Primary School. While that result brings their interschool campaign to an end at district level, the girls should be incredibly proud of their efforts and the way they represented St Therese. A big thank you to Ms Volkers for coaching the team and to the parents who came along and assisted on the day. Well done, girls!

RSL’s 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan

Our school captains represented St Therese Primary School at the Torquay RSL’s 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan at the Memorial Garden today.

Axel, Eve, Ivy and Bonnie all did a professional job reading during the memorial.

The feedback from the guests and organisers of the event about the way our leaders spoke and carried themselves were very positive and gracious.

Well done kids.

Religious Education

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to all of our families for their support of students receiving Confirmation last Saturday. There was a large number with St. Therese and Lisieux combined and yet the reverence and silence truly made it a very sacred occasion. The students had prepared well and a big thanks to Jo, Gerard and Jess in Year 6.

Bishop Martin, our regional Bishop, had a special message to the students to use the gifts they have. When we awaken the gifts in us we can definitely make a better world – using wisdom and knowledge combined with understanding. Having the fortitude to act with counsel and wonder is a powerful model for all around us, as we bear witness to the gospel.

Also, a huge thanks to Zoe and Ivy (MacKillop House Captains) who led us through a Patron Day last Friday. The day is designed to learn more about Mary MacKillop and also celebrate teamwork with a social justice focus. And finally, thanks to our many families who contributed to our collection for MacKillop Family Services. Every donation is gratefully accepted and a representative will attend an Assembly soon to receive all of these gifts.

“It’s the Little things that Matter”

Jan Fagan (Religious Education Leader)

Parish News:

Parish Newsletter damascusparish.com.au

Wellbeing

On June 24 we had very special visitors to our school Assembly. Cecile and her friend Brian and her guide dog- Verdix came to accept a donation for guide dogs Victoria. It is truly amazing that a two year 4s can drive such an amazing little fundraiser – thinking about others. Congratulations to Lyra and Vayda who organised the project and raised $200 to be given over. I know the girls did not act alone and all of us helped by buying their products and listening respectfully to Cecile as she described how she manages living with blindness. (Thanks Betty for stepping in at assembly as Vayda was unwell.) When we show true empathy and listen to others, we improve our own wellbeing and learn more about gratitude and compassion.

We act with Compassion & Respect & Gratitude

Jan (Wellbeing)

St Therese School 40th Anniversary

All past and present staff and families are warmly invited to attend our 40th Celebrations in October. This is a two day event, beginning with a Mass in our hall on Friday 16th October at 9.30am. During the day there will be tours of the classrooms, showcasing students work as well as displays of memorabilia followed by an assembly with presentations from past students.

On Saturday 17th October a ticketed, over 18's, event will be held at Torquay Bowls Club. This is for past and present staff and parents to reconnect and celebrate together. Tickets are available now using this trybooking link https://www.trybooking.com/DOXED

Book Week Parade

Library News Book Week Parade 2026

Friday August 28th 9:00 - 9:45am/School Hall

The St Therese Primary Book Week Parade is one of the most eagerly awaited days in the school calendar and is always a highlight of the school year! As this exciting day approaches, students are invited to come dressed as their favourite book character. Parents/Carers are warmly invited to the Parade to be held in the hall at 9am-9:45am. (No pressure with costumes, just have fun with them, no prizes, just fun). Following the parade, the children will participate in a range of engaging Book Week literacy activities, celebrating Australian children’s Literature and the wonderful stories that inspire us. What is Book Week? Children’s Book Week (22-28 August) is an annual celebration of books, reading and Australian children’s authors and illustrators, coordinated by the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA). This year’s Book Week theme is “Symphony of Stories”

For enquiries, please email Ty : thudson@sttorquay.catholic.edu.au

Father's Day Breakfast

Dads and Special People, the annual St Therese Father's Day Breakfast is fast approaching! To reserve your spot, click on the link below. See the flyer for further details.

https://www.trybooking.com/DOZEX

Please note that although this is a free event, you must reserve your spot via TryBooking for catering purposes.

Monte Carlo Father's Day Evening

Please secure your tickets now for the Inaugural Monte Carlo Father's Day Evening. Tickets selling fast so get in quick using the trybooking link below.

https://www.trybooking.com/DNXAQ

School TV - ADHD

In this edition of SchoolTV - ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental condition that affects how children regulate attention, impulses and activity levels. While many children can appear restless, distracted or forgetful at times, ADHD involves ongoing patterns that may impact learning, behaviour, organisation and relationships. These challenges can sometimes lead to frustration at home and school, particularly when a child is trying hard but struggling to meet expectations.

For families, understanding ADHD means recognising that these behaviours are not simply a matter of effort or discipline. ADHD is influenced by a combination of neurological, biological and environmental factors that affect how a child's brain processes information and manages self-control. With the right support, structure and strategies, children with ADHD can develop the skills they need to succeed and thrive.

This edition of SchoolTV explores how families can better understand ADHD and support children to build confidence, strengthen emotional regulation and navigate everyday challenges more successfully.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the ADHD edition of SchoolTV https://sttorquay.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/adhd-au

Routleys P&F Fundraiser

Use this link to order some yummy Routleys items for your family.

https://fundraising.routleysbakery.com.au/

Community Jungle Body Class

You're invited to our Term 3 community activity, a free Jungle Body class with Megan Lawler (a school parent), on Tuesday 8th September, at 7pm in the school hall.

Get ready for some high energy dance moves, sure to lift your spirits! Stay after for refreshments and a chat with other school parents and carers.

Please fill out the attached form if you'd like to join us.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDgZ-GGxZ-6yUQgsrMf_byQo-5ckLMwIpT3IQOlUT8-wzN_g/viewform?usp=dialog

Student Achievements

Here are some past and present students who have achieved some amazing sport results this year. Please let us know if you have any other stories of 'Student Achievements' in their area of expertise.