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,
At our school, we are proud to nurture not only the academic growth of our children, but also their understanding of what it means to live our four core values in the community.
This week, we come together to celebrate NAIDOC Week, an important opportunity to recognise and honour the histories, cultures and achievements of First Nations people. Through engagement at school this week, children will have an opportunity to deepen their appreciation of the world’s oldest continuing cultures and reflect on the significance of connection to Country.
A key theme that we will be sharing during NAIDOC Week will be the importance of caring for Country. First Nations peoples have cared for the land, waterways and environment for tens of thousands of years, teaching us valuable lessons about sustainability, stewardship and responsibility. As a school, we encourage students to take practical steps to care for the environment through recycling, reducing waste, conserving resources and showing respect for the natural world around them. Small actions, when taken collectively, can make a meaningful difference.
This week, along with our focus on NAIDOC Week, we will also be acknowledging Laudato Si Week, which once again calls for us to look after Our Common Home. At St Emilie’s, we continue to build sustainable practice in to our everyday, through small actions and education.
For a video on the origins of Laudato Si Week which you can watch with your child, please click here.
This week, as has been shared in the Weekly Reminders previously, children will be joining with First Nations artist, Deborah Bonar, to paint symbols that represent the Country we belong to onto stepping stones that will be used to connect the various areas in our school bushland. This project will continue to make this area of the school accessible and inviting for those who wish to use it, and ensure that all in our community can enjoy the beautiful nature at St Emilie’s.
Thank you to the very generous group of parents who came to assist with priming the stepping stones for our project this afternoon. Your time and energy are greatly appreciated.
R U Ok? Day
This week, we highlight the importance of speaking up and speaking up, remembering that a conversation could save a life.
As we acknowledge R U OK? Day, we are reminded of the importance of checking in with ourselves, family members, friends and colleagues. A simple conversation can help someone feel supported, valued and connected. We encourage our children to be respectful, strive for excellence and build safety and wellbeing each day, and we thank our parents and carers for partnering with us in fostering our school values at home
Strong communities are built when people feel connected, cared for and respected, hence the first core belief in our School Vision for Learning is that we ‘see, know and connect’ with every child. Whether we are celebrating culture, caring for our environment or supporting the wellbeing of those around us, we are teaching our children that every individual has a role to play in creating a positive and thriving community.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together to develop young people who live by our school values inside and outside the school gate.
De Vialar House Day
This Monday, children and staff in De Vialar House will celebrate the House Feast Day for De Vialar House. The birthday of Saint Emilie de Vialar is today, Friday the 11th of September, and in honour of this, De Vialar Day will be on Monday.
Families with children from De Vialar have been emailed with further information on their special day.
House Athletics Carnival – Friday 18th of September
This Friday, 18th of September is the annual House Athletics Carnival. This carnival is a chance for our children to come together for some friendly competition between Houses in line with our school values of respect, excellence, wellbeing and safety.
Parents and carers are encouraged to please join for the day to encourage all of the children as they do their best. The School P & F Committee will have a sausage sizzle available for purchase (until orders run out), and there will be lolly bags available for purchase. At this stage, we are unable to confirm a coffee van, but are liaising with a couple of vendors and will let you know how we go.
The P & F will be selling tickets for the raffle, which will put you in the draw to win a special prize, with all money going back to the school.
The P & F are still calling for volunteers for the carnival. If you are interested in assisting, please contact me via chris.burns@cewa.edu.au
At this stage, the weather for the carnival is not looking overly pleasant, however, a lot can happen with the weather in a week’s time. Please pray for some beautiful weather on the day.
Further specific information will be shared with parents and carers by Mr Davis this week.
School Disco
I am pleased to share that the School Disco will take place on the final day of school, which is Friday the 25th of September.
The theme for the School Disco will stay the same as advertised in Term Two, with the theme being decided upon by our Year Six children. The theme for the disco is “Retro 90’s and 2000’s”, which of course makes those who have finished school feel ancient!
The disco will take place during the day, and in 2026 will not be an after school event. The children in Year Three to Year Six will attend the disco between recess and lunch, and the children in Kindy to Year Two will attend the disco in the afternoon.
Children are permitted to wear their free dress to school, and it is asked that children donate a gold coin which will go toward the Children’s Mission. Please note that all children at school on Friday will be attending the School Disco, which will be supervised by staff.
Parent Circle News: Thank you to Catrina and Welcome to Marija
Parent Circle is an opportunity for parents and carers within our school community to come together in an informal way throughout the term, share a hot beverage and have a chat. Over the years, Parent Circle has been very much valued by the community and staff alike in creating this connection for families. I would like to use this opportunity to sincerely thank Catrina, who has led and been a strong advocate for Parent Circle over the years she has been at St Emilie’s. Earlier in the term, Catrina informed the school that this would be her last term in leading Parent Circle. Catrina has a very sharp wit and welcoming presence and has worked tirelessly to continue to create this opportunity for our community, and so, Catrina, I would like to thank you on behalf of the community.
With this news in mind, I am excited to share that Marija has put her hand up to lead Parent Circle. Like Catrina, Marija has young children at the school and is excited about the opportunity of leading Parent Circle. I know that in true St Emilie’s fashion, people will support Marija as she leads this space.
Further information about Parent Circle will be shared with our community early next term.
Consent Survey
As part of Catholic Education Western Australia’s ongoing commitment to supporting schools in the delivery of Consent and Respectful Relationships Education (CRRE), CEWA is seeking feedback from parents and carers about their information and support needs in this area.
Grounded in the Catholic understanding of the dignity of every person and the call to support the integral human development of each child and young person, this work affirms the importance of forming students to recognise, respect and uphold the dignity, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others.
Parents and carers, as the primary educators of their children, play a critical role in shaping children’s understanding of relationships, respect, safety and wellbeing.
To ensure future parent resources and engagement opportunities are relevant and responsive, CEWA has developed a short survey to gather parent perspectives, questions and areas of interest relating to consent and respectful relationships education.
The survey will:
- Gather information about parents’ current understanding of consent and respectful relationships education.
- Identify topics parents would value further information or support with.
- Inform the development of future parent-facing resources and engagement opportunities.
- Support CEWA and schools to strengthen partnerships with families around student wellbeing and healthy relationships.
The survey should take approximately five minutes to complete, and responses are anonymous. The survey link can be found here.
Thank you for supporting this important initiative and helping ensure that future parent resources reflect the needs and priorities of our school communities.
Drive Through: Please Place Name Tags on Cars
In order to assist the drive through in running as efficiently as possible, parents and carers are asked to have their family name displayed on their dashboard so teachers on duty can identify all your children. Can I ask parents and carers to please place their name tags in a visible spot during drive through.
If you do not have a name tag for your car, please contact the Admin Office.
Call for Donations for School P & F
On the day of the House Athletics Carnival on Friday the 18th of September, our P & F Committee will be hosting a raffle. I call on any members of the community who may be involved with businesses to consider donating to the P & F to offer as prizes.
Businesses who are able to donate will be given a shout out in the Weekly Reminders in the coming weeks.
We appreciate your support.
Chris Burns
Principal
Kindergarten 2027
Accepting Enrolments for 2027 and beyond...
If you have a child who will be going into Kindy in 2027 (born between 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023), please ensure you submit an Enrolment Form application to the office. An application for enrolment can be collected from Administration or by visiting the School Website.
URSTRONG
September Theme - Forgiveness 💚
Last week we shared our learnings in URSTRONG, about mistakes and courage.
Every single one of us makes mistakes. We make mistakes in our learning, in sport, at home, and definitely in our friendships. Sometimes those mistakes are small, and sometimes they can leave us feeling embarrassed, frustrated or worried.
As we begin a new month, we also have a new friendship focus for September: forgiveness.
Which aligns directly with mistakes and courage.
Put your hand up if you have ever made a mistake.
Maybe you said something you didn’t really mean. Maybe you became frustrated with someone. Maybe you made a poor choice, hurt someone’s feelings, or did something you later wished you could take back.
It tells us that we are human!
One of our URSTRONG Friendship Facts is Friendship Fact #1: No friendship is perfect. Even our very best friendships will have tricky moments because nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes sometimes.
And, if we want our friends to understand and forgive us when we make a mistake, we also need to be willing to offer that same understanding to others.
That doesn’t mean pretending that something didn’t hurt.
It doesn’t mean saying that an unkind choice was okay.
And it certainly doesn’t mean that we have to keep allowing someone to treat us poorly.
Forgiveness is about deciding what we do next.
In URSTRONG, when we have a Friendship Fire, we work our way around the Friend-o-Cycle. We confront the issue, Talk-it-Out, put the fire out, and then comes a really important step: Forgive & Forget. Sometimes that can actually be the hardest part.
Sometimes, even after we’ve sorted something out, we keep carrying it around.
- We might keep thinking about it.
- We might bring it up again next time we’re annoyed.
- We might tell other people about something that has already been resolved.
- We might even decide, “Well, they did that to me last week, so now I’m going to do this to them.”
When we do that, the Friendship Fire never really gets put out.
Forgiveness is choosing not to keep adding fuel to a fire that has already been resolved.
Sometimes it can also mean giving our friends the benefit of the doubt. Instead of immediately assuming, “They did that because they don’t like me,” we can stop and assume the best. Maybe they didn’t notice. Maybe they forgot. Maybe they misunderstood. Maybe, just like us, they simply made a mistake. URSTRONG reminds us that assuming the best can stop unnecessary Friendship Fires from starting in the first place.
So, throughout September, we want you to remember something really simple:
- Good friends don’t expect perfection.
- They expect mistakes sometimes.
- They Talk-it-Out when something needs to be fixed.
- They apologise when they’ve done the wrong thing.
- They forgive when a Friendship Fire has been resolved.
- And they give their friends the opportunity to learn, grow and do better next time.
Because forgiveness isn’t about deciding that what happened didn’t matter.
It’s about deciding that, when we can, we won’t let one mistake matter more than the whole friendship.
So this month, let’s practise being Friendship Ninjas who show patience, understanding and forgiveness, to our friends, to the people around us, and even to ourselves when we get things wrong.
Because none of us are perfect.
And thankfully, our friendships don’t need us to be.
P&F NEWS
House Carnival Raffle and Sausage Sizzle
SAUSAGE SIZZLE
The P & F will have a sausage sizzle available for purchase. Sausage Sizzle will be available for purchase from 11am and with no preorders, they will be for sale until sold out.
LOLLY BAGS
Lolly bags will also be available for purchase on the day.
RAFFLE TICKETS
The P & F will be selling tickets for the raffle from 8.45am, which will put you in the draw to win a number of wonderful prizes, including Term Four VIP parking, a variety of vouchers and a meat pack. All monies will go back to the school.
Cash and Eftpos will be available on the day.
Key Calendar Dates
Term Three 2026
Parents are encouraged to subscribe to our Calendar on our Website for the most up-to-date Calendar events.
Week Nine
Monday 14th September – De Vialar House Day
Thursday 17th September – R U OK Day
Friday 18th September – House Athletics Carnival
Week Ten
Tuesday 22nd September – 8.45am Performing Arts Assembly
Wednesday 23rd September – 9am Missions Mass
Friday 25th September – Missions Retro Disco
Friday 25th September – Term Three Concludes
Term Four 2026
Parents are encouraged to subscribe to our Calendar on our Website for the most up-to-date Calendar events.
Week One
Monday 12th October – Term Four Begins
Wednesday 14th October – Edu-Dance (1/2 Day)
Thursday 15th October – Edu-Dance (Full Day)
Thursday 15th October – Year Six Graduation Photos
Week Two
Tuesday 20th October – Year Six Basketball Carnival
Wednesday 21st October – Edu-Dance (1/2 Day)
Thursday 22nd October – Edu-Dance (Full Day)
Friday 23rd October – 8.45am Year Four Assembly
Sunday 25th October – 11am Confirmation Mass
Week Three
Wednesday 28th October – Edu-Dance (1/2 Day)
Thursday 29th October – Edu-Dance (Full Day)
Friday 30th October – World Teachers Day – Pupil Free Day
Sunday 1st November – All Saints Day
Fruit of the Holy Spirit
Goodness
Goodness is more than simply being “nice.” It is a deep, Spirit-led commitment to act with integrity, choosing what is right, even when it is difficult or unseen. When the Holy Spirit forms goodness within us, our choices reflect honesty, generosity, and moral courage. We don’t just avoid wrongdoing—we actively seek to do what is good for others.
This week we focus on the fruit of the Holy Spirit: Goodness. Goodness calls us to live with integrity—to be the same person in every situation, guided by truth and compassion. It challenges us to make choices that honour God and uplift others, especially when it would be easier not to. In our school community, goodness shines through small, everyday actions: being honest, standing up for others, and choosing kindness without expecting anything in return. As we grow in goodness, we become living witnesses of God’s love in the world.
Practical Examples for Students
- Honesty: Admitting a mistake instead of blaming someone else.
- Fairness: Including others in games, especially those who are often left out.
- Standing up for others: Speaking kindly when someone is being teased or excluded.
- Doing the right thing quietly: Helping clean up even when no one is watching.
- Integrity online: Using kind words and making respectful choices in digital spaces.
Prayer
Loving God,
You are the source of all goodness.
Fill our hearts with your Holy Spirit,
so that we may act with integrity in all we do.
Help us to choose what is right,
even when it is hard or unnoticed.
Teach us to be honest, kind, and courageous,
so that our actions reflect your love to others.
May we grow each day in goodness,
walking in your light.
Amen.
Goodness
Choose to do the right thing while being honest and truthful.
Week Nine: Goodness is Acting with Integrity
Week Ten: Goodness is Being Honest and Truthful
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.
Extra Curricular
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 ‘Who Decides’ by Dr Justin Coulson.
OSH Newsletter
Wider Community
A Note from the School Health Nurse
Caitlin Amos
Welcome to the new school year. I am the nurse that will be visiting your school throughout the year.
School Health nurses support children’s healthy development and wellbeing in primary schools. We offer a free health check (School Entry Health Assessment) for all children in the year that they start school. You may receive a School Entry Health Assessment form via your child’s teacher. If you sign and return it, we can check your child’s vision, hearing, teeth, growth, and development.
School Health Nurses provide feedback and support to families and schools after assessment and connect you with services in the community. We promote parenting programs and help with health care plans for students with identified and chronic health needs. Additionally, we may provide advice and support for some areas of the curriculum delivery on request by the school.
Further information about the role of the nurse in primary schools can be found here:
Child and Adolescent Health Service | CAHS – School Health
If you have any concerns about your child’s health, development, or well-being, please contact me through the school office, or on 92588053. You can also email me at caitlin.amos@health.wa.gov.au
The services provided are free and confidential.
