Dear Families,

Last week was Catholic Education Week across all 101 Catholic schools. It celebrates the solidarity we share as part of Catholic Education. You may have seen some social media across CESA and some features from our TMC Team as well. It has been excellent to celebrate both the unique gifts of Thomas More College, and the beauty of being part of a strong Catholic Education System. We appreciate being a leading school within CESA and love celebrating our work as a Catholic School.

We’ve had some significant events over the last and this week to signify this:

• Throughout last week, students wrote heartfelt messages of hope, support, and kindness on paper hearts and stars. These were then displayed around the school as gentle reminders that no one is ever alone and that even the smallest words can brighten someone’s day.
• Our Year 7s students embarked on a pilgrimage to St Augustine’s Church as a full cohort. Staff and students walked together and met leadership staff along the route, where students each collected an item for them to carry with them on their journey (shell, candle, cross). These were then presented at the Church where Fr Roderick engaged in a ‘teaching mass’ with students.
• This week, we held our second ‘sold out’ Principal’s Tour. It was a fantastic event where our students again took the lead in guiding enrolled and prospective families through the school. I love seeing families see and become enamoured with our school through fresh eyes.

In addition, very significantly we have just welcomed the election of a new Pope. This is the third such event in my lifetime, so we know these are rare; it is a milestone moment for the Catholic Church. From the Archbishop’s statement sent last week:

“The new Pope, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost OSA is an American Cardinal of the Catholic Church, born on 14th September, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois. He is a member of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) and was ordained a Priest in 1982. Pope Leo XIV has a background in canon law and has served in various international roles, including as a Missionary and Bishop in Peru, where he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo in 2015.

In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, placing him in charge of overseeing the selection of Bishops worldwide. He was made a Cardinal on 30th September, 2023.

Our prayer today in the Archdiocese of Adelaide is one of thanksgiving to God for providing a good Shepherd for us all. He will be a Shepherd who walks before us and with us helping us to bring the joy of the Gospel to all people especially those on the margins of our society.”

During these events we are reminded of the worldwide Catholic Church of which we are an important part.

Weeks 7-10
I have been fortunate to have gained a place on a CESA Study Tour Pilgrimage and will be taking Renewal Leave for the last four weeks of the Term. During this time, I will be travelling to the UK and representing Thomas More College on three significant experiences. They are:

• The international Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education (GRACE) Conference at St Mary’s University Twickenham. GRACE is a global network of leaders, educators and researchers in Catholic education.
• A tour of high performing Catholic Academy Trust Schools. There are five primary and six secondary schools which are consistently amongst the top performing multi-academy trusts in the UK. This will be a chance to see how the schools are maintaining and improving high performance (and spread the ‘good news of TMC’ in this space too!).
• A Spiritual Heritage Pilgrimage - Celebrating 180 years of Catholic Schooling in South Australia. This 10-day pilgrimage in Ireland is a wonderful opportunity especially designed for CESA leaders to recognise, understand and celebrate more deeply the profound influence of the Irish on our schools in South Australia. It will include the places of significance and stories of those religious orders/founders involved in our Catholic schools across South Australia, including the Irish Dominicans, Christian Brothers, Irish Jesuits, Mercies, Brigidines, Carmelites and Benedictines. I was educated by the Christian Brothers and have worked at Dominican and Brigidine Schools (amongst others) so I am very excited about this leg of the trip.

I am very grateful for this opportunity and thankful that TMC can support me to continue to be the best leader I can be for the school. During this time Shannon Bertram will be acting Principal and Ruth Taylor acting Deputy, and they will do an excellent job as they have in the past.

I look forward to sharing news about this when I return.

Take care,

Corey Tavella
Principal

In Year 7 HASS, the students have been learning about the Ancient Worlds. They visited the South Australian Museum in Term 1 and examined how museum curators consider and present artefacts and information.

Using this excursion, students designed their own Museum Exhibitions. These were presented to their Year 12 buddies on Thursday 8 May.

This was a great opportunity for students to display their learning and creativity.

The Purple Bench Project is an Australian initiative that installs purple benches in public spaces to honour victims of domestic and family violence and to raise awareness about this critical issue. Originating in Canada in 2015, the project has been adopted across various Australian states, including South Australia, where the benches serve as both memorials and educational tools.

On Thursday 16 May, as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Archbishop Patrick O’Regan unveiled a Purple Bench on the grounds of our beautiful Cathedral. Students listened to Archbishop Patrick speak of the importance of our Catholic community acknowledging the pain, strength and silent courage carried by too many people in our community. Throughout the Scriptures, we see God’s heart for the broken hearted. Psalm 43:18 tells us, “The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”.

On Friday of Week 2, Year 9 Geography students embarked on an excursion to West Beach, Semaphore, and Outer Harbor.

The focus of their investigation was the human impact on these coastal areas and how spaces are utilised by the community.

The students observed various aspects of human activity, from recreational and economic use to environmental management. Adding a special touch to the day, the Mayor of Port Adelaide Enfield, Claire Boan, joined the group at Semaphore. She shared her vision and future plans for the area, sparking thoughtful discussions among the students about sustainable development and community engagement.

As part of Law Week 2025, the Year 12 Legal Studies students were kindly hosted by the Legal Services Commission of South Australia and attended Parliament House. Our guide, Shannon provided an overview of the detailed lawmaking process in both the lower and upper houses explaining the history behind the colours in the chambers and the formalities inherited from the British Westminster System. Grace Leonello and Anyieth Briar were given fake swords to illustrate the age-old practice of separating opposing political parties as debate could get very heated. In 1642, Charles I famously entered the House of Commons with an armed guard which caused an uproar, and he was later beheaded due to disputes between royalists and parliamentarians. The distance between parties is now indicated by a red stripe in the carpet around the chamber which members of Parliament still very rarely cross! Students in the photo are: Fatima Ahmadi, Anyieth Biar, Ravid Chhoeut, Danyela Emmanuel, Lillian John, Angelica Kenyon, Grace Leonello, Hiep Nguyen, Nicholas Nguyen and Angelo Tanudtanud.

On Tuesday 13 May, 4 TMC debate teams had their first-round debate.

Congratulations to the new members to the Debate Teams and a huge thank you to all the coaches who are supporting them.

The Year 7 and Year 10 teams came away with a win. The Year 8 and 9 teams got very close!

Congratulations to Dhanush (Yr 7), Lucas (Yr 8) and Charli (Yr 10) for being awarded speakers of the night. Also, a huge thanks to Akash (Yr 10) and Roben (Yr 9) for stepping in at the last moment!

Creativity isn't just restricted to subjects like Music and Art; it is incredibly important in STEM. It is also about improving products and developing problem-solving capabilities, which are important skills for any STEM profession. On the 2, 9, and 16 May, we attended the UniSA STEM Girl's Academy Creative Challenge. The Creative Challenge consisted of a three-day workshop and an industry excursion in which we were able to put our creativity to the test. Over the course of this challenge, we learnt how to apply the Design Thinking framework and mindset to solve real-world problems posed by industry partners of UniSA. This was also an exciting opportunity to meet like-minded girls, develop our understanding of specific STEM topics, and enhance our critical thinking/communication skills by working with students from other schools and year levels. This workshop completely shifted my mindset towards STEM and now I am much more confident in my creative and problem-solving skills than I was before!

Isaia Kalaitsidis
9 White

The STEM Creative Challenge was an exciting opportunity to think creatively and problem-solve. I was part of the Orange Group, where I worked collaboratively with students from different schools to design a better weather buoy. On the first day we learned the basics of design thinking such as empathise, define, ideate, prototype and test. Engineers then from South Cott shared a hydraulic issue, and we brainstormed solutions using a mind map. On the second day, we explored problems with an existing weather buoy. With advice and guidance from the experts, my group worked together to create a new mind map and prototype, using craft materials to bring our ideas to life, one of the main focuses was improving the buoy’s communication system. This program was a great way to be creative and collaborate with new people in a fun and practical way.

Year 12 Outdoor Ed students went go on a 1-day excursion to the Mount Lofty Ranges. They visited locations such as Anstey Hill, Inglewood, Chain of Ponds and Mount Crawford. During this trip, students were able to collect primary data for their Sustainable Futures Assignment.

The focus for this assignment is habitat loss and the effect it has had on the Mount Lofty Ranges. Students investigated what management strategies are present to combat this habitat loss.

We finished off the trip with a quick visit to The Big Rocking Horse. GO TMC OE!

Uniform Shop Opening Hours
Mondays:  2:00pm - 4:00pm
Thursdays: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Fridays: 8:00am - 10:00am

REMINDER: School Ties are now in stock!

Fishing Club is back for 2025!! Fourth year and counting! Our first group had an awesome day fishing at West Lakes on the weekend. Our members cast their lines with skill and persistence throughout the day. As a group, we managed to hook a whopping 10 fish! Let's keep the momentum going with the senior group this weekend coming. Well done TMC fishing club!

Playford Civic Centre
We are thrilled to announce that the 2025 Visual Arts Exhibition is just around the corner! We are excited to invite all families to join us for the official opening at the Playford Civic Centre on Friday, 13 June from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.

Celebrating Student Achievements
Each year, the Visual Arts Exhibition is a highlight on the Thomas More College calendar, showcasing the incredible talent and dedication of our students. This year's exhibition features artwork selected from 2024 and 2025, representing the disciplines of Visual Art, Design, Digital Arts and Photography. Adding to the evening's enjoyment, the event will be catered by our talented Year 12 Food and Hospitality class.

Awards and Voting
The evening will include the presentation of several awards:

Best Senior Art Student
Best Junior Art Student
Encouragement Awards for students showing exceptional potential.

Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award, with voting closing promptly at 6:45pm. Official proceedings and award presentations will follow shortly after.

Important Details for Exhibiting Students
Students whose work is on display are asked to arrive by 5:45pm. As this is a formal event, students should wear their Full Winter Uniform to reflect the significance of the occasion. Official invites will be posted out to exhibitors during the next couple of weeks.

Join Us in the Celebration!
Displaying student artwork in a public setting is an invaluable experience. It not only validates the students' efforts and achievements but also encourages them to take pride in their work. Public exhibitions provide a platform for students to receive feedback from a broader audience, helping them to grow and refine their artistic skills.

We look forward to celebrating the creativity and achievements of our students with you. For more information about the exhibition, please feel free to contact the College at 8182 2600.

Paul Kralj
Leader of Learning – Visual Arts