Dear Families
Yay Week
In Week 6 of every term, we celebrate Yay Week, a week dedicated to wellness for everyone in our community- staff, students and parents.
Year 4 Assembly
Thank you to our wonderful Year 4 students and staff for presenting the first Assembly this morning. It was great to listen and learn about Australia's colonial history through the convicts and the long timeless First Nations history of Australia.
Attendance at School
The School Education Act 1999 requires children of compulsory school age to attend school (PP to Yr 6). When a child is unable to attend, legislation requires that parents/caregivers forward written notification providing a reasonable cause for the absence of their child. If a child is absent for more than two days in a row, a medical certificate needs to be provided to the school.
We ask all families to communicate in writing with the school when their child is absent.
Please see below for more information in regard to this process.
Swimming Trials
Well done to the 38 students who put their hands up to be involved in our Swimming Trials on Monday. All students gave their best and enjoyed the morning. Notes went home this week to the students selected in the Interschool Swimming Team to represent St Emilie's at the end of this month. Please return to Mr Davis by Friday 10th March. We received a lovely email from a family thanking the staff for the trials which was much appreciated.
Thank you all for your commitment and support over the last few weeks in helping the children to prepare for today’s swimming trials. Thanks for all the organisation and extra effort involved. We’re so glad today went smoothly and was well received by all. A testament to your hard work. We really do appreciate that the children are given these extra opportunities and just wanted to say a big thank you.
School Fee Statements
If you have not been emailed your fee statement, please ring the front office to check your email details are correct. Please note, the fee statement is only sent to one family email address.
Respecting Agreed Start and Finish Times
A gentle reminder that supervision at school starts at 8.20am. No child should be dropped off at school before that time. This is also the case at the end of the school day, supervision concludes at 3.20pm, and all children should be picked up by that time. Thank you for your cooperation.
Parenting Article
This week under the Parent Reading heading, we have included an Insights article titled,
'How does your child respond to a challenge?' by James Anderson. Challenges are the pathway to growth. When our children habitually avoid challenges, their learning stalls. When they learn to understand, value, and embrace challenge, their learning accelerates. So, helping our children develop a healthy relationship with challenge becomes one of the most important ways we can help them become better learners.
Regards
Stuart Munro
Principal
Priscilla's story - Zimbabwe
Climate change continues to bring unprecedented challenges for people living in the most vulnerable and remote communities in Zimbabwe. With the support of Caritas Hwange, Priscilla learnt conservation farming skills to grow drought-resistant crops and started poultry farming to support her family during the current food crisis.
Priscilla lives in the Hwange district in Zimbabwe with her husband, Charles, and her two grandsons. In Hwange, the impacts of climate change are exacerbating food insecurity in vulnerable communities. This can be seen in the erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged dry spells, poor agricultural soils and high temperatures in the region. “We had plenty of rains at first but as time has gone by, the rains have become erratic and hence the yields have been reduced,” Priscilla said.
Priscilla joined the Zimbabwe Integrated Community Development Program, implemented by our partner Caritas Hwange and funded by Caritas Australia. Through the program, Priscilla and her community learnt conservation farming techniques to grow drought-resistant crops to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Priscilla was able to produce a bumper harvest in her first year of practicing in conservation farming.
Priscilla also used the funds from her harvest to start poultry farming, where she can sell eggs to pay for her grandchildren’s school fees, books and stationery. The poultry farming provides a safety net for Priscilla and her family during times of hardship, like the current drought.
In addition to conservation farming training, thanks to generous supporters like you, Caritas Hwange has helped Priscilla boost her food security through a range of activities, including participating in a community nutrition garden to grow and sell vegetables, and rehabilitating the dip tanks to keep her cows healthy and reduce the prevalence of tick-borne diseases. Caritas Hwange also rehabilitated a community dam near Priscilla’s house, so cattle can have access to water all year.
While the situation in Zimbabwe and across eastern Africa remains dire, the work of Caritas Hwange means that Priscilla can learn the techniques, tools and resources she needs to build resilience and support her family during this current food crisis.
“We are indeed grateful to Caritas Hwange for the knowledge,” Priscilla said. “Today we have knowledge and skills that we didn’t have before and are able to use to earn a living.”
Week 6
Monday 6th March - Labour Day Public Holiday
Tuesday 7th March to Friday 10th March - Yay Week
Week 7
Monday 13th March - Two Way Parent Teacher Interviews begin
Wednesday 15th March - 8.45am P & F Meeting
Wednesday 15th March - 2023 NAPLAN begins--Yr 3 & 5
Friday 17th March - Gannon House Day
Week 8
Tuesday 21st March - Harmony Day
Wednesday 22nd March to Friday 24th March - Year 6 Camp
Friday 24th March - Two Way Parent Teacher Interviews end
Week 9
Wednesday 29th March - 4pm to 6pm Open Night
Wednesday 29th March - 6pm School Advisory Council Meeting
Thursday 30th March - Interschool Swimming Carnival
Thursday 30th March - Open Day Tours
Friday 31st March - 8.45am Year 3 Assembly
Week 10
Thursday 6th April - 8.45am Holy Week Tableau - Year 5
Thursday 6th April - 3pm Term 1 concludes
Friday 7th April - Good Friday
Term 2
Week 1
Monday 24th April - Pupil Free Day
Tuesday 25th April - Anzac Day Public Holiday
Wednesday 26th April - Term 2 begins
Week 2
Friday 5th May - 8.45am Year 6 Assembly
Sunday 7th May - 7pm Parish Fundraiser in Hall
Week 3
Tuesday 9th May- Kindy 2024 Interviews begin
Wednesday 10th May - 8.45am P & F Meeting
Friday 12th May- 8.45am Year 2 Assembly
Friday 12th May- Eagles Cup vs Salvado CC
Week 4
Tuesday 16th May- Kindy 2024 Interviews continue
Wednesday 17th May - 4pm & 5.30pm Reconciliation Workshops
Friday 18th May- 4pm Reconciliation Workshop
Friday 19th May- Eagles Cup vs St Munchins'
Week 5
Monday 22nd May - Mazenod House Day
Tuesday 23rd May- Kindy 2024 Interviews continue
Wednesday 24th May - National Simultaneous Storytime
Friday 26th May - Year 1 Assembly
Friday 26th May- Eagles Cup @ Xavier
Public Holiday: Labour Day - Monday 6th March
Easter: Friday 7th April to Monday 10th April
Term 2: Wednesday 26th April to Friday 30th June
Public Holiday: Anzac Day - Tuesday 25th April
Public Holiday: Western Australia Day - Monday 5th June
Term 3: Monday 17th July to Friday 22nd September
Term 4: Monday 9th October to Friday 8th December
Pupil Free Days in 2023--to be confirmed
Monday 24th April
Friday 2nd June
Monday 17th July
Friday 22nd September
Monday 20th November
Volunteers are a valued part of the heart of our school community, and we are truly grateful to our many beautiful and diverse families for sharing their gift of time and talents.
If you would like to express your interest to assist at events and activities throughout the year; if you have new ideas for events or ways you can help us support our community, we would love to hear from you.
The P&F can be reached via email pandf@stemiliescps.wa.edu.au
Term 1 - Weeks 6-10 = Self Control
Self Control
Week 6: Stop and Think - How Do My Words and Actions Affect Me - and Others
Week 7: Act Don’t React
Week 8: Trust Is Something You Earn
Week 9: I Can Wait
Week 10: Finish The Things You Start
St Emilie's Parish
Office hours: 9:00am to 3:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday
Mail: PO Box 5184, Canning Vale South WA 6970
An appointment to see a priest is required.
Parish Priest: Fr. Jean-Noël Marie
Email: Jean-noel.marie@perthcatholic.org.au
Office
Email: stemilie.office@iinet.net.au
St Emilie's Catholic Primary School