TWCS Newsletter Term 2 Week 8 2025

Dear Families,

As we step into the final weeks of Term 2, we extend a warm welcome to the Little Wonders children and families. This term promised to be full of energy, growth, and exciting developments across our school community and it hasn’t let us down! It has been busy.

Welcoming New Staff

It is always great to have the opportunities to add to our staff, bringing in new ideas and energy. This term we have made a few appointments that will commence in Term 3.

Mid-Year Reception classes

- Valleena Machado will continue in her role as a Mid-Year Reception teacher

- Toni Hall has been appointed in a part-time capacity to be the second Mid-Year Reception class teacher

- Joining Toni is Bella Beilo. Bella is currently an ESO for us. She has been completing her teaching degree whilst working at Tenison Woods. Bella will be working with Toni in the second Mid-Year Reception class.

- We are pleased to announce that we have secured the services of an experienced ESO from Star of the Sea who will be joining us in Term 3 in a permanent appointment. Denise Gariboli joins the team with some 15 year's experience in classroom and intervention ESO roles.

- During the first 3 weeks of Term 3, Claire Little will be taking some well-deserved Long Service Leave. During her time away, David Molloy will be stepping in to the Acting Assistant Principal role in a part-time manner, with Sheena Pattinson also taking on some of Mrs Little’s responsibilities. Covering Mr Molloy’s release will be Tiff Reubenicht. Tiff is an extremely experienced teacher, joining our TRT group after 20 years in Catholic Education schools.

Please join us in making them feel at home in our vibrant school community.

Updated Prospectus and Website

In line with our Strategic Plan and the need to continue to provide access to our school information in a modern, easy to use and informative way, we have been working with an external consultant to completely re-work our prospectus and school website. Maria Apostolou was a marketing and communications officer in a catholic school until recently, when she branched out to become a consultant for schools. Maria has been working with Misty (marketing and events background) and Peta to rebrand the communications.

After a long process and a lot of emails back and forth, it is wonderful to be able to have 2 completed pieces of communications that will be sent out to our community and our local kindies and childcares.

BE KIND, BE BRAVE, BE YOU is a newly developed focus line that we will be using in our language moving forward. These 6 simple words encompass our work and school community beautifully.

We encourage you to have a look at our new website www.twcs.catholic.edu.au and the prospectus which is available online.

Celebrating Aerobics Success

A huge congratulations to our two School Aerobics teams – the TicTacs and the Limitless Legends – who both achieved first place at the recent State Championships! This is a phenomenal achievement and a testament to the dedication of our students and coaches. We are incredibly proud of your hard work and team spirit. The teams are now headed to the Gold Coast in August to compete at the National Titles.

Building Project Update

Our building project continues to progress steadily. It was wonderful to have been given the opportunity by Pascale Constructions who created a ‘viewing platform’ for all classes to come out and see the concrete pour for the new Junior Primary building. It may have looked like not much has been happening, however we are pleased to say that there hasn’t been 1 day that the site has sat empty. Whilst the structural steel has been fabricated, the plumbers and electricians have been busy completing all the external groundwork in preparation for the roof and walls going up. This week will see the structural steel being erected.

We are still aiming to have access to the new Junior Primary building by mid October, moving Reception C, Reception CL and 1/2 Kew into the new building as soon as possible to allow Pascale Constructions to start on Stage 2 – the new administration/front office building.

OSHC Provider for 2026

At the end of 2025, the current agreement with Camp Australia is due to be renewed. In a thorough and open process, we have gone out to tender with four organisations to award a new multi-year agreement to. We are currently reviewing these proposals for our 2026 OSHC provider. The YMCA, Camp Australia, Our Patch and Extend have all submitted comprehensive proposals, which are under consideration by the school leadership team with input from the School Board. A detailed summary was presented at our most recent Board meeting, and we look forward to sharing the outcome with our community soon.

Welcome to Little Wonders

This term, we are thrilled to welcome 38 new Reception students through our Little Wonders program. These young learners bring fresh curiosity and joy to our school, and we are excited to support them as they begin their educational journey with us.

With the Mid Year Reception classes starting next term, the Little Wonders Transition Program has been running over 3 days. Valleena has been leading the program again this year with the input from Toni Hall and Bella Bielo as well. The program in Term 2 has been extended to 6 weeks to match the Term 4 program. This remains a very valuable program for us as we continue to support the transition into our school community.

Enrolment Update

Enrolments continue to be strong with very limited spaces in multiple year levels. We currently have only one place remaining for the January 2026 intake. Our July 2026 and January 2027 intakes are now full, with limited places available for July 2027. If you know of families considering enrolment, please encourage them to contact the school as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Mid Year Reports

Teachers are busily finalising the children’s mid-year academic report. The academic report provides information for families about the progress made in relation to the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards for each subject area. It is important to speak positively with children regarding the report grades and comments. Teachers spend a lot of time ensuring children are provided the opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and learning in all areas. To support all families in understanding how your child is progressing in their learning and wellbeing, we will be offering Parent/Teacher Interviews in Week 2 next term. This will be an opportunity for teachers to elaborate on the Mid-Year Report grades and discuss current PPL's if applicable. 

However for all extensive learners there will be separate PPL meetings held in Week 4 next term. More information will be sent out at the start of next term regarding these opportunities. 

We will endeavour to have reports emailed to all families on Monday Week 10 by the end of the school day. Please let the Front Office know if you have not received the report by Wednesday of Week 10.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in making Tenison Woods Catholic School a flourishing community of learning and faith. We wish you all a warm and relaxing Term Holiday Break.

Warm regards,
Ben Catalano, Claire Little and Sheena Pattinson 

A Joyful Milestone for Our Year 6 Students!

There were big smiles all around this morning as our very happy Year 6 students proudly received their senior jumpers! Mr Catalano made a special delivery to each classroom, and the excitement was contagious! 

As we are coming up to middle of the school year, any books that remain overdue dating back to the beginning of Term 1, will incur a cost.

A ‘late fee’ will be added to school accounts for books that are overdue and not returned by the last day of Term 2, Friday 4th July. This fee will be $10 per overdue book. A final overdue letter will be emailed to parents of student’s with these outstanding books, with details about the overdue book, giving families time to do another search for the book at home.

If the book is found and returned after the fee has been added to the family account, a refund will be provided given that the book is returned within 6 months.

Thank you 

What an incredible journey our Reception students have embarked upon this semester! From the magical moment when letters transform into words, to diving deep into ocean mysteries, our young learners have embraced every adventure with enthusiasm and curiosity.

The classroom has been buzzing with excitement as our students unlock the secrets of reading and writing. Watching their faces light up when they decode their first words is truly priceless! Our pocket rockets program has been a tremendous hit, with children racing home each day to share their newfound literacy treasures with their families. These small victories are building big dreams, one story at a time.

Our recent expedition to the Marine Discovery Centre was nothing short of spectacular! This hands-on adventure perfectly complemented our Biological Science studies, transforming textbook learning into real-world discovery.

Picture this: tiny hands carefully sorting through beach treasures – smooth sea glass catching the sunlight, intricate shells revealing nature's artistry, and fascinating seaweed specimens telling stories of ocean life. Our budding marine biologists were completely captivated!

The indoor exploration proved equally enchanting as students wandered through rooms filled with mesmerizing aquariums. Wide eyes watched seahorses dance, puffer fish puff, and vibrant clownfish dart through their underwater homes. Each tank opened a window into a different corner of our incredible marine world.

Our passionate guides didn't just show us marine life – they ignited a sense of responsibility in our young hearts. Students learned why protecting our beaches and oceans matters, planting seeds of environmental stewardship that will grow alongside them.

A heartfelt thank you to our amazing parent volunteers who joined us on this underwater adventure! Your support made this magical learning experience possible, and your enthusiasm matched that of our students every step of the way.

Here's to more discoveries, more wonder, and more unforgettable learning moments ahead!

As Term 2 comes to a close, 5/6H reflected on what we enjoyed and learned this term. It is clear that we have had a term full of creativity, growth, meaningful learning, and new experiences!

The clear highlight this term was our stained glass artwork in Visual Arts, which inspired many students to try a new style of art. These will be on display at the end of the term at our Art Gallery Exhibition. Others loved exploring STEM challenges with 6M, reimagining gospel stories with a modern-day twist, working on our HASS biography projects about Australian history and discovering the sky stories of First Nations Peoples in Science. Another popular highlight shared amongst many of us was our introduction to the HAT (Here’s A Thought) wellbeing program, which has helped us all to grow our self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

When asked which character strengths we used most this term, our top 5 consisted of Teamwork, Love of Learning, Curiosity, Humour, and Bravery. Our class has shown these strengths in how we work together and lift each other up.

We’re so proud of the learning and growth we have shown this term. We can’t wait to see where Term 3 takes us!

This term students have been learning about market food and money. They have participated in hands on learning during Italian lessons, through market role plays and veggie gardening.

With support from Bunnings, our Year 3 students have planted a variety of vegetable seedlings, which are flourishing as a result of their continued care and maintenance of the vegetable patch. Walking in Father Julian Tenison Woods footsteps, students have embraced this opportunity to develop a deeper appreciation for creation and the natural world. The care that each student took while planting was exceptional, and witnessing their combined awe of nature and the gifts that we are given by God has been joyful.

Our Year 6's had a different project that they were working towards. Our goal was to use what we had been learning in Italian, and to transfer that knowledge to a real-life event. We decided that we would run a mini market and use the money raised to support 2 charities close to our hearts. We had an incredible turn out, both in the morning and in the afternoon, and completely sold out of stock by 3:20pm. I cannot thank you all enough for your continued support of the language program that we offer at Tenison Woods. The students had an amazing experience, and as a teacher, I was beaming with gratitude. Grazie mille! I hope that you all enjoyed your fresh fruit purchases, which were kindly donated by Woolworths, Hilton. With your support we raised $510 which will be split between the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal and Moore Street.

Signora Larritt.

On Thursday Week 7, Tenison Woods took a boys and girls team to compete at the annual SACPSSA Basketball Carnival. Comprising of 11 boys and 9 girls, both teams went against many other schools within our division, in hopes of claiming the title of Basketball champions.

Proving victorious in three out of their four games, the boys were high scorers in the competition. Due to having a bye in their final round, hindering their chances of a finals appearance, their final run home secured them 5^th position overall.

The girls had a stronger performance this time around compared to last year, rounding their table finish to 9^th out of what was a tightly fierce competition. With each game’s score line mere points away from winning, further proves their strong work ethic and willingness to never give up.

“I had a wonderful experience because all of the games were evenly matched and competitive.” - Zara

“I loved the carnival because everyone encouraged others to do their best, and we all had a blast playing with each other!” - Ella

“I enjoyed playing with my mates and supporting the other girls' team in between our games" - Luca, Emmett

Mitch Saba

(Sports Coordinator)

Zane Burckhardt, Xavier Chubb – Football 

In Week 6, Xavier and Zane were selected to represent Tenison Woods at the annual SAPSASA District Football carnival. Held at West Beach over 3 days, the boys had many opportunities to put on a show and have a good time. 

Both boys were seen playing up in the forward line, kicking over 25 goals as a pair. Games were proven tough against other districts and schools, especially Gawler giving them a run for their money. Overall, finishing third on the table, it’s no doubt they both made Tenison Woods and our Airport district proud! 

“I really enjoyed playing the first game in the rain! The added difficulty of playing in wet conditions made it way more fun!” - Xavier 

“The highlight for me was having fun with all the players there, as everyone knew each other from club footy.” - Zane 

Great work Xavier and Zane! 

Georgia Wilkins – Softball 

Georgia represented Tenison Woods at the SAPSASA Softball Carnival. With a team of around 10 players across the Airport district, the girls competed in the Under 12s competition across other South Australian Districts. 

Over the course of the 3-day competition, the girls played a total of 8 games, with Georgia playing as the team’s catcher. Georgia, being one of the more experienced players, provided support and encouragement to her teammates both on and off the pitch. 

Results were positive, having won all of their 8 games, winning the overall competition. The games were quite competitive, seeing score lines very close throughout the competition. 

“I really enjoyed spending time with the players, getting along with them. Our teamwork and the way we instantly bonded together was incredible!” 

Congratulations Georgia!! 

As we find ourselves well into term two the P&F would like to welcome our recent joiners into the school community, including Little Wonders, and look forward to meeting new parents and students over the coming months.

The P&F has remained active planning towards events for the remainder of the year, and would again like to pass on our thanks to the parents and staff that have generously provided support.

It was wonderful to hear from Claire Little in our recent meeting, who updated the group on sensory equipment purchased with funds donated by the P&F, which is now being used within the school community.

Tickets for the Parent’s Night Out on Saturday 16^th August are now on sale on the Qkr! App, and we hope to see as many parents as possible at this year’s event.  Thanks so much to Tracy for organising this years event.

Looking further ahead, the P&F is also planning a Father’s Day kick & catch on Friday 5^th September (term 3 week 7) after school.  The event was well supported last year and we hope to see families out on the oval on a sunny Spring afternoon.

Lastly, the fundraising BBQ at Mile End Bunnings is scheduled for Sunday 24^th August (term 3 week 5).  We will send reminders closer to the time and would love to see as many volunteers as possible, even if you’re not a regular attendee at the P&F, as the stall can get quite busy.

As always invites to P&F meetings are open to all, and if anyone has any suggestions for activities or fundraising activities, please get in touch at pandf@twcs.catholic.edu.au. 

Wishing everyone a great remainder of the term, and a happy and safe winter holidays.

Regards,

Jane O’Donoghue & David Marshall, on behalf of the P&F Committee