Vision, Mission, Values
Vision
St. Emilie’s Catholic Primary School’s vision is to promote life-long learning, in a safe, nurturing and Christ-centred environment.
Mission
Our mission is to courageously inspire and support children to grow, as confident critical thinkers, and collaborative and creative learners who are well equipped to relate to an ever-changing world.
Values
We respect ourselves and each other
We strive for excellence
We build wellbeing
We create a safe environment
From The Principal
Dear Families,
This edition of the Weekly Reminders comes to you with a sense of great excitement as we prepare for this evening’s Family Picnic.
In the absence of a P & F Committee until our Annual Community Meeting this Wednesday, our school staff have been amazing in ensuring that this event goes ahead. The school staff who are so giving of their time, especially on a Friday evening after a week at school, are looking forward to this opportunity of engaging with your children and yourselves in a relaxed and casual setting on the school oval.
To our families who have recently joined the community, including families in our Kindy cohort, we strongly encourage you to come and join in the fun this evening. While we know that joining a new community can be daunting, what makes St Emilie’s special is that people will look out for you. Please come on down and join the fun and join in the chance to make some new connections.
There will be a limited number of sausage sizzles for purchase if you haven’t pre-ordered during the week. There will also be live music and and ice cream for sale. Most importantly, there will be some lovely company!
During the week, I came across this really interesting video on Bunuru, which is considered the Second Summer and one of the six Nyoongar seasons. We are currently in Bunuru, and will be until the end of March, when the weather will begin to cool. Please find the link to this very informative video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XesR_ehkbTo
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, as well as the weekend of Saturday 1 March and Sunday 2 March. 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 foyer. The completed forms are to be returned to the Church foyer at a Commitment Mass.
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.
School Photos
School photos take place this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. An email was sent to all families on Wednesday 12th of February from Mr Munro reminding families about the important information for the photos. Information and ordering packs from MSP have also been sent home
Children in Year One to Year Six are required to wear their full formal school uniform on the day. Please refer to the school website to access our School Uniform Procedures. The link can be accessed here.
Annual Community Meeting
Our Annual Community Meeting for the 2024 school year will be held this Wednesday 26th of February, commencing at 5:00pm in the School Learning Hub. This is an opportunity to share important information about the School Advisory Council and P & F Group for the year.
As was shared during the week, elections for the P & F Committee for 2025 will also be held. If you are interested in nominating for a position on the P & F Committee for 2025, please return the nomination form emailed by 9:00am on Monday 24th of February.
Pupil Free Day (Vision for Learning and Fruits of the Holy Spirit)
A reminder that this Friday 28th of February, there will be no school for children. While the children enjoy an extra long weekend, staff will be at school looking further into the School Vision for Learning and Fruits of the Holy Spirit.
House Swimming Trials
This Monday 24th of February, children from Year Four to Year Six who have nominated to attend the House Swimming Trials will make their way to Riverton Leisureplex. They will spend the morning putting their best foot forward to attend the Interschool Swimming Carnival which will be held this term. We wish all of the children all the very best as they involve themselves in this opportunity. Parents and carers are most welcome at the trials on Monday to cheer all of the children on.
P & F Footy Tipping
The excitement is building around St Emilie’s as we draw ever closer to the AFL season. Can the Dockers win their first flag? Can the Eagles resurrect themselves after some disappointing seasons? Who knows!
The P & F Footy Tipping competition is a great way for the community to have some fun with the AFL season as well as raise some money for the school.
At our Family Picnic, next Friday we will have available to families the QR code so you can sign up to join in the fun and give yourself an opportunity to win some great prizes.
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 have been sent to families. 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.
IMPORTANT: Please ensure you have set up your payment plan with Administration no later than Wednesday 26th February to ensure that your deductions are processed in time. A later submission of your payment plan will result in an increased deduction amount.
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. We ask that you do not send absentee notes through Seesaw as these can be missed.
The Parent Circle
The Parent Circle is back in 2025!
For those of you who may not be aware, The Parent Circle provides an opportunity for parents from the school to meet with one another on a fortnightly basis. While some of the dates are a morning tea where parents and carers can come together, some of the dates throughout the year will be used as information sessions to share information on a variety of topics.
In Term One, The Parent Circle will alternate days between Wednesdays and Thursdays. These alternate days will hopefully allow parents and carers the opportunity to drop children from Kindy to school and then attend or, on the Thursday dates, bring your child with you.
All are welcome at The Parent Circle. The dates can be found below:
Thursday 27th of February @ 8:45am (Morning Tea)
Wednesday 12th of March (Morning Tea)
Thursday 27th of March (Harmony Week Theme)
Wednesday 9th of April (Easter Egg Hunt)
Younger siblings are more than welcome to attend with parents and carers.
CEWA Interpreter Service and Website Translator
St Emilie’s is a diverse and alive community with over 35 nationalities represented here in this community through children and staff. If you or someone you know is not confident with the English language or needs additional assistance, our school has access to interpreters with costs covered by the school.
The school website also has a translation button so that the information on the website can be translated into other languages. For further information, please feel free to contact the school.
School Advisory Council Spotlight
Over the next few weeks in the Weekly Reminders, we will be sharing with you a profile from the members of our School Advisory Council. The School Advisory Council is formed by very dedicated volunteers who bring their own God given gifts to the role. These parents and carers sit on the council and act as an advisory body for school staff concerning the direction and governance of the school.
This week, we share with you all the profile of Father Jean Noel Marie who is an Ex-Officio member of our council. Enjoy getting to know more about Father Jean-Noel Marie.
Chris Burns
Principal
School Advisory Council in the Spotlight
Father Jean-Noël Marie
- Name
Jean-Noël Antoine Marie - Role on the St. Emilie’s Catholic Primary School Advisory Council in 2025?
Parish Priest - How many years have you been a member of the School Advisory Council?
Seven Years - Favourite part about being a member of the St. Emilie’s Catholic Primary School Advisory Council so far?
Sharing and supporting our common mission and vision. - Favourite pastime/hobby?
Listening to music and reading. - Favourite food?
Pizza - Favourite holiday spot?
Mauritius - Favourite sport/team?
West Coast Eagles - What are you most looking forward to in the year ahead at St Emilie’s in 2025?
Working towards helping the church and the school to coordinate and integrate their mission.
URSTRONG
The Important Messages
Each Friday our older students deliver important URSTRONG messages to our students …
Emma and Jessica from Year Five had this to share last week,
“Do you remember last year when we started talking about something super cool called URSTRONG? If you do, then you’ll remember it’s all about helping us become friendship ninjas—learning how to make friends, keep friends, and handle friendship fires without turning into fire-breathing dragons.
URSTRONG tools are like having a secret superpower—they help us understand our emotions, communicate clearly, and solve problems in a way that makes us feel strong and confident. Because let’s be real—friendships aren’t always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes it’s more like… a rollercoaster! One minute, you’re laughing with your bestie, and the next—BAM!—they ate the last piece of your chocolate bar without asking. (Gasp!)
But instead of screaming, “YOU’VE BETRAYED ME FOREVER!”, Friendology teaches us how to use the Four Friendship Facts, the Friend-o-Meter and the Friend-o-cycle to figure things out. And guess what? We’re already pros! Last year, we learned all about healthy friendships, talking it out, and using our words like friendship superheroes. This year, we get to build on what we know and become even stronger at handling tricky situations.
So, what’s the big goal? To make our school a place where EVERYONE feels safe, included, and valued. A place where we don’t let friendship fires burn out of control, and where kindness is our secret weapon. Who’s ready to level up their friendship skills this year?
Awesome! Let’s remember – friendship takes practice, just like sports, dancing, or perfecting the ultimate TikTok move. So, let’s be kind, use what we’ve learned, and make this year our strongest year yet. Welcome back, everyone! Let’s make it a fantastic year of friendships!
P&F News
Family Picnic - Friday 21st February
A friendly reminder that we will be hosting our Annual Family Picnic TONIGHT Friday, the 21st of February from 5.00pm to 7.00pm on our school oval.
This is a ‘low-key’ school community event aimed at providing an opportunity for families to simply be together and to catch up with one another in a relaxed, social setting.
Food
While you are very welcome to bring your own picnic dinner, a Sausage Sizzle is also being offered as a cheap and easy alternative for any interested families. There will be a limited number of sausage sizzles for purchase if you haven’t pre-ordered during the week. There will also be live music and and ice cream for sale. Most importantly, there will be some lovely company!
Drinks
While it is acceptable for parents to bring alcoholic drinks to the event, responsible alcohol consumption is of course expected. There will be a limited bar of wine, beer and soft drinks.
Family Circle
Key Calendar Dates
Term One 2025
Parents are encouraged to subscribe to our Calendar on our Website for the most up-to-date Calendar events.
Week Three
Friday 21st February – 5pm to 7.00pm Family Picnic
Saturday 22nd February – 6pm Sacramental Commitment Mass
Sunday 23rd February – 7.30am, 9.30am & 5pm Sacramental Commitment Masses
Week Four
Monday 24th February – House Swimming Trials (Year Four to Six selected students)
Tuesday 25th February – School Photo Day One
Wednesday 26th February – School Photo Day Two
Wednesday 26th February – 5pm Annual Community Meeting
Friday 28th February – Pupil Free Day
Saturday 1st March – 6pm Sacramental Commitment Mass
Sunday 2nd March – 7.30am, 9.30am & 5pm Sacramental Commitment Masses
Week Five
Monday 3rd March – Labour Day Public Holiday
Tuesday 4th March – Shrove Tuesday
Wednesday 5th March – 9am Ash Wednesday Mass
Friday 7th March – Year Six Assembly & Merit Awards
Week Six – YAY WEEK
Wednesday 12th March – Year Three and Five NAPLAN
Thursday 13th March – Year Three and Five NAPLAN
Friday 14th March – Year Three and Five NAPLAN
Week Seven
Monday 17th March – Year Three and Five NAPLAN
Tuesday 18th March – Year Three and Five NAPLAN
Tuesday 18th March – Gannon House Day
Wednesday 19th March – Year Six Camp
Wednesday 19th March – Year Three and Five NAPLAN
Thursday 20th March – Year Six Camp
Friday 21st March – Year Six Camp
Fruit of the Holy Spirit
Kindness
True kindness is taught to us in Ephesians 4:31-32, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each another, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
But, what is kindness? It begins with caring, being tenderhearted and compassionate. The Greek word for ‘kind’ is chrestos—meaning ‘useful.’ This means that kindness involves action. Truly kind people will actively look for opportunities to show kindness.
Whether it’s paying for someone’s coffee at the drive-through behind them or writing a note of encouragement to a friend, kindness requires action. Of course, action can also include words—words of encouragement, comfort, courtesy and compliments can be heartwarming acts of kindness.
Jesus Christ practised kindness that was considered radical for that time and culture. His kindness often extended to the people who were not treated well, including the sick, poor and social outcasts. He healed them, prayed with them and fed them.
Just like Jesus, we should practise kindness, even something as small as a smile at a passing stranger. We should continue to ripen our fruit of kindness in the footsteps of Jesus, who personified the greatest example of kindness.
Term One
Kindness
Make everyone feel welcome through your words and actions and understand the feelings of others.
Week Four: We All Rise By Lifting Others
Week Five: Empathy Is Understanding the Feelings of Others
Self Control
Reflecting on my words and actions and how they affect myself and others.
Week Six: Stop and Think – How Do My Words and Actions Affect Me & Others
Week Seven: Act Don’t React
Week Eight: Trust Is Something You Earn
Week Nine: I Can Wait
Week Ten: Finish The Things You Start
Parish News
Attendance
Attendance Procedures
When your child/ren are absent from school please either email the teacher firstname.surname@cewa.edu.au and stemiliesadmin@cewa.edu.au
or
Use the Absentee Form on our Website.
It is a legal requirement for parents to contact the School regarding any student absences. Parents should email the teacher and include admin by 9.00am on the day of the absence with the following information:
- Full name of student
- Year group
- Reason for absence and expected length of absence
- Your name and relationship to the student
- Parents are required to inform the school if the absence is expected to be extended.
Absentee Long Term
It is a requirement for parents to complete the Leave of Absence – Notification Form when taking planned extended holidays during the term.
Parents are required to return the below form to Administration prior to the absence.
Leaving Early
1. While we understand it is difficult to make specialist appointments outside of school hours, we strongly encourage you to do so where possible.
2. Please ensure you are emailing the class teacher along with admin, if your child is going to be taken out of school early for an appointment.
Keyed Up Music
St Emilie’s partners with Key Up Music to offer after school Music lessons.
Keyed Up Music will be teaching guitar, keyboard, voice, violin, and drum lessons after school. Please head to the Keyed Up Music Tab on our Website for more information.
Parent Reading
This week under the Parent Reading heading, we have included an article titled, ‘The Power of Belonging’ by Dr Justin Coulson.
School belonging isn’t just about feeling happy and comfortable in the classroom; it’s a crucial ingredient for long-term mental health and well-being. By partnering with the school, nurturing connections at home, and championing our children’s interests, we can help them build a strong foundation for a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life.
OSH Newsletter
Wider Community
Ngala Parenting Line – funded by the WA state Government
The Parenting Line offers free telephone advice and support to parents and carers of children up to 18 years of age throughout Western Australia
Our team of qualified and friendly staff are on hand to offer information, strategies, reassurance and encouragement. They help parents and other professionals find the appropriate organisation or service to meet their need.
Hours of operation are 8am to 8pm, every day. The Parenting Line operates as a Call-back service.
Ways to Contact the Parenting Line:
By Telephone: 08 9368 9368 or 1800 111 546 leave a message with Switchboard or on the Answer machine.
By Website www.ngala.com.au fill in the online form.
https://childandparentcentres.wa.edu.au/gosnells/
We recommend you jump over and check out the programs that the Centre has on offer this term, including;
- The Power of Positive Parenting
- Learning to Use the Toilet
- Spending Time Apart
- Speech Pathologist Drop in with Jackie
- Fear-less: Supporting Children with Anxiety (6-14)
