School Profile
St Thomas' is a Parish Systemic school in the Diocese of Broken Bay.
It was opened in 1928 as a church/school by the Sisters of St Joseph from Mount Street in North Sydney. As numbers grew, plans were put in motion in 1941 to build a new school to provide more classrooms.
In 1991/1992 a second major building and refurbishment project was carried out. This involved renovation of existing classrooms, a new library, toilets, administration, an undercroft area, a multi-purpose room and an art room.
The school is well resourced and provides a clean, stimulating environment for both teachers and children.
School Philosophy
As a Catholic school we believe that St Thomas' exists:
to foster the growth of our community
to recognise the dignity and worth of each member of our school community
to model and witness the values inherent in the Gospel message
to provide a child centred curriculum which will enable all students to reach their potential in literacy, numeracy, reasoning and research skills in their pursuit of individual excellence.
The school motto is 'FORWARD IN FAITH'. The school has always maintained a policy of service to the families of the parish, and a wonderful warmth and community spirit has been a focus of parish life and a feature of this school.
School Curricula
The K - 6 program offered at St Thomas' covers the mandatory key learning areas for the primary schools in NSW and there is a special place in the daily life of the school for Religious Education. The curriculum is organised into seven key learning areas: Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Human Society and its Environment, Creative Arts, and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education.
Several specialist teachers (Physical Education, Music, Library and Italian) work with classes and groups of children to enrich the program offered by the school.
Special Needs programs are in place to cater for children with special needs. A teachers' aide implements these individual programs which are established by the Special Needs teacher.
The Parish
In the Diocese of Broken Bay sacramental programs are parish based. However the school has an important supportive role within this process.
The Parents
St.Thomas' has a very active and supportive Parents & Friends Association who have an ongoing financial commitment to providing resources for the children's learning.