Term One Week Two – Commencing Monday 10th February 2025

Dear Families,   

Welcome to the first full week of school for the children in 2025. 

Collectively, we should all be so proud of how our children returned to school last week. The children have come back to school with an infectious energy and optimism for the year and for the engaging learning that will take place throughout 2025. 

While it is important to acknowledge the children and their role in ensuring that they start well individually and collectively, it is also important from a school perspective to thank you all as parents and carers for ensuring that you play your part in helping the children show up the right way on day one. Initially, information was sent to parents and carers on the 20th of January around some of the logistics and expectations to start the year and the response as a community has been first class. Thank you for supporting us to ensure your children continue to ‘Grow in Grace’ at St Emilie’s. 

I would also like to publically thank the staff here at the school for ensuring that the learning spaces and the school was ready for day one. Although our staff’s official return date was Monday 3rd February, in the weeks prior to this date, the school constantly had staff coming and going to prepare the school. Your children are in good hands. 

Year of Jubilee – ‘Pilgrims of Hope’
Throughout 2025, as a Catholic community, we will be celebrating ‘Jubilee 2025’ which is guided by the theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. This year is a Holy year in 2025 where we are strengthened by hope that does not fade. For us as a Catholic community, that is our hope in God. 

In 2025, there will be many pilgrims making their way to Rome for the celebrations which will be a beautiful gathering of all Catholic people from around the globe. For those of us who are unable to go to Rome, we will celebrate the year in our local parishes. 

For further information about ‘Jubilee 2025’ including a prayer and a beautiful reflection on reconciliation, please access the links below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHNuz5aRHJ0 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHNuz5aRHJ0 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAhTNaRd8TM 

Parish Bulletins & Links
In 2025, the St Emilie De Vialar Catholic Parish continues to go from strength to strength with many opportunities available for both children and their families to deepen their faith and be part of an authentic community that models itself on the life of Saint Emilie and on the Gospel values. 

Some of the opportunities which are currently available at the parish include: 

-Children’s Liturgy every Sunday (school term)  

-Youth Group meet once a month  

-Senior Youth meet once a month  

-Senior citizens meet once a month  

-Alpha Program for adults & teens 

-Faith Formation for Adults  

On the first page of the parish website, families can find the Parish Bulletin which is updated every week by the Parish Office. 

To access further information about the St Emilie De Vialar Catholic Parish located on the same site here as the school, please click here.

A drop down box for the St Emilie De Vialar Parish can be found underneath the ‘From The Principal’ section in the Weekly Reminders. 

Sacramental Commitment Masses
Sacramental Commitment Masses for children celebrating the Sacraments of Reconciliation (Year Three), First Holy Communion (Year Four) and Confirmation (Year Six) will be held across the weekend of Saturday 22nd February and Sunday 23 February. During these Masses, children from St Emilies will join with parishioners from the parish to show their commitment to preparing for the Sacraments in 2025. 

Sacramental Enrolment Forms are available from the Parish Church from Saturday 8th of February. 

As the year unfolds, children from St Emilie’s will prepare for the celebrations and we keep these children, their families and the staff involved in their preparations in our prayers.  

Welcome & Commissioning Mass 
As a Catholic learning community, it is important to commence our year in prayer together, praying for the year ahead and giving thanks for our school. All families are encouraged to join the children and staff from the school for the Welcoming and Commissioning Mass on Wednesday 12th of February at 9:00am. 

Vision for Learning 
On Wednesday evening, a large gathering of parents and carers gathered at the school to learn about the St. Emilie’s Catholic Primary School Vision for Learning. Those who joined in on the evening were gifted a bookmark with our Vision for Learning printed on it as a visual as to why teaching and learning looks the way it does at our school. Our teaching and learning here at the school is distinctly linked to the person of Saint Emilie, her faith, courage, service and vocation, but also her grit, determination and desire to make her community and the world a better place through appropriate challenge. 

A huge thank you must go to all staff for their engagement in preparing our School Vision for Learning and in particular, Mrs Maria Harvey who led this robust process to develop the vision. A special thank you must also go to Ms Mel McNess who created the artwork for the Vision for Learning based on the person of Saint Emilie. 

In the coming weeks, the Vision for Learning will be displayed across the school in all spaces as a signpost as to what ties us all together as a Catholic learning community based on the faith tradition of Saint Emilie. The Vision for Learning will also be placed on the school website in the coming weeks. 

If you did not attend the Parent Information Evening and would like a bookmark with the vision on it, please collect one from the Administration Office. 

Striving for a Work-Life Blend at St Emilie’s and a Right To Disconnect
The staff at St Emilie’s are a very dedicated and committed group of professionals. The staff at our school show the utmost diligence in providing for the children they care for each day. Recently, there have been some changes to the working conditions for teachers and their workloads outside of working hours.  

Below is some information that is important for you to know in relation to these new legislated changes for our teachers as part of their updated employment conditions.  

As has always been the case at St Emilie’s and as indicated in the Parent Handbook, unless a matter is urgent, it is reasonable to expect up to a 48-hour turnaround time in response to emails from school staff. In most cases, staff are unable to respond during the school day because they’re teaching for the majority of the time and have a legal duty of care over the children in their class.   

Staff also have the right to disconnect from 4.00pm each day until 8:15am the following day as per the new changes. Along with this, staff have the right to disconnect on weekends and won’t respond to any emails on Saturday or Sunday. Part-time staff are not required to respond to any form of communication on their non-working days.   

Underpinning this change is the acknowledgement that our staff at St Emilie’s have lives outside of school also. Many staff are parents, family members and friends to their loved ones and it is important that after work hours, they have the right to fulfil these roles without interruption in line with the expectations placed upon other professionals.  

At St Emilie’s, we are blessed to have such a supportive parent body and I know that you will continue to support our staff by keeping these changes in mind when communicating with them.

School Fees 2025
School Fee Statements for 2025 will be sent to families early this term. At St Emilie’s, we provide many options for families to pay off school fees which are essential in ensuring our children can operate and offer the children the learning opportunities that we do. 

 Throughout the year if you are finding payments difficult to make, please contact the school to make a confidential appointment to meet with myself.  

A reminder that if you have a Health Care or Pension Card with your child’s name on it, please ensure that the school has an up-to-date copy of the card to ensure we can pass on the relevant discount.  

Absentees on Website
A reminder that should your child be absent from school any given school day we encourage parents and carers to provide information about absentees for their child via the school website. When you fill out the absentee form on the website, notification comes to both the Administration Office, as well as your child’s class teacher.  

Merit Awards
At the end of 2024, children across the school were consulted about the way that Merit Awards were celebrated at the school which, was that awards were handed out in class and the pictures from the celebration sent home via SeeSaw. 

After looking at the feedback from the children, it was indicated that the children would be excited to trial a new system in 2025 where Merit Awards are handed out at Friday Morning Assemblies. As a result, this will be put into place in 2025. 

As part of the new process, parents will receive notification that their children will be receiving an award in good time before the assembly. Details of the new process are being worked through with staff and further details will be shared with parents as soon as possible. 

In 2025, children who display the Fruits of the Holy Spirit will also be acknowledged at the Friday Morning Assemblies. 

These two tweaks are in alignment with our core beliefs stated in our Vision for Learning where as a staff we ‘see, know and connect with every child’. 

Weekly Reminders 2025 
Each Friday throughout the term, the Weekly Reminders will be shared with all families. This is a one-stop shop with all of the information required for the school week and it is vital that parents and carers read this information each week.  

Term Calendar
Parents and carers are reminded to please continue accessing the calendar and note any important dates into your diary. 

The school calendar can be found here.

Year Six Leadership Retreat Day 
This Friday, our Senior Class will continue their development as school leaders as they participate in their annual Leadership Retreat Day which will be facilitated by Ministry 24/7. This day will take place in the School Hall and will be a chance for the children to reconnect with the wonderful learning from the Growth Hunting Program in term Four of 2025. We wish our Year Six children and staff all the very best for the day on Friday. 

St Emilie’s Alumni News 
It is really fantastic to hear of children who have attended St Emilie’s previously doing amazing things in the community.

This week, it was brought to our attention that St Emilie’s Alumni, Oliver Hogan won the Oceania BMX Championships. Congratulations Oliver.

We love to hear the news of St Emilie’s alumni making the world a better place. If you are aware of achievements celebrated by former children from the school, please feel free to share. 

St Norbert’s College Open Day – Friday 28th of February 2025
St Norbert College warmly invites prospective students and their parents to tour our beautiful College, its contemporary facilities and extensive grounds. Tours will be conducted at 9.00am and 1.00pm. Bookings can be made at https://www.trybooking.com/CYQHS.

We will commence our enrolments for 2027 in the next few weeks. Application forms may be obtained by visiting our website www.norbert.wa.edu to apply online or by phoning the Enrolment Officer, Mrs Roberts on 9350 5433 to receive an Enrolment Package.