Dear Families,

It’s great be back for Term 2! Although we are already two weeks down, I want to welcome all of you back to TMC for this Term and acknowledge the excellent start our students have made. They are such good people, and I know (by and large!) they are enjoying being back. I love connecting with students as I walk around our campus each day.

All staff spent day one learning together through some professional development by Real Schools. There are many people who may offer comment on the current and future spaces of education; Adam Voight is an educational leader, public speaker and educational commentator who has translated thoughts and commentary into a program of connecting with school culture. Adam often appears in contemporary media like The Project; his work as CEO of Real Schools allows him to connect with schools across the country to enhance their culture and practice around Restorative Practices. We have been on a restorative journey for the last seven years, and in doing so we promote a positive environment of challenge and support through working with our students. Given our immense growth over these years, Adam’s Team is working with us to share understandings and grow our work in this space. It was great to come together and learn, this journey will continue in different forms.

Pope Francis
Incredible that over the Easter Period we learned of the death of Pope Francis. Staff came together in prayer at start of the Term, and RE classes have been connecting with Francis’ important work and incredible legacy as the leader of the Worldwide Roman Catholic Church. Thomas More College is proudly a Catholic School and so we watch with interest, awareness and a sense of Faith development over the coming weeks as the Cardinals move into Conclave and look to elect a new Pope.

I offered the following words to staff which came from CESA Director - Catholic Identity and Mission Dr Jill Gowdie:

“He lived the beatitudes because they were the blueprint for the life and vision of Jesus.

He lived his mission with a special charism that was his compassionate capacity to make that vision and life of Jesus accessible, meaningful and relevant for everyone, everywhere.

For Pope Francis - everyone will always have a place at the table. And he showed us and shared with us - over and over and over again - what that should look like in families, in politics, in economics, in schools, in cities, in countries… in the Church."

Take care,

Corey Tavella
Principal