Term Four Week Four – Commencing Monday 28th October 2024

Dear Families,    

Welcome to Week Four. 

This weekend we celebrate the final Confirmation Mass for this year where children from the parish will be supported by their families, school staff and catechists to re-confirm the promises made by their parents and Godparents at Baptism. 

Last week’s Confirmation Mass was a beautiful celebration for all who attended and to see the children in their Sunday best and looking so grown up was a proud moment for all. 

It would be lovely to see as many people from the school attend on Sunday at 11:00am to support the children. 

This Friday is also a very important day for our faith as we celebrate All Saints Day. All Saints Day is a day to remember all of those Saints who have been so influential to our faith. 

This day holds significance for our school given that we were named after Saint Emilie de Vialar. Like many other Catholic schools in Western Australia who also draw their inspiration from the Saints they have been named after, on this day we remember and pause to reflect on Saint Emilie and all she means to us as a faith community. 

For those children who have recently celebrated their Confirmation, this will be an excellent chance to honour their chosen Saint too. 

On Tuesday, our Kindy children will gather together with their families and the Kindy staff in prayer as they lead us in the Kindy Prayer Service. News from the Kindy classes is that the children are super excited to be leading the community in prayer. This is yet again another example of how every child leads at St Emilie’s when it is their time. 

Well done to all of the children and the Kindy staff. Tuesday morning will be a beautiful occasion to gather in prayer. 

I was really heartened during the week when it came to my attention that a number of children from the younger grades in our school had gone out of their way to raise money for Telethon over the weekend. Some of the children even asked for donations instead of a birthday present which could go straight to Telethon! 

I am also pleased to share that some of our students have been fundraising for other significant causes close to their hearts, giving of their own time to sit with people doing it tough and bouncing on trampolines for extended periods of time.

Parents and carers, what an amazing example you are setting for your children. From a school perspective, it was so pleasing to see these children exhibiting kindness and grace outside of the school in the community. Well done to those families involved! 

Hot Weather
Next week, the weather is really starting to warm up here at St Emilie’s with some temperatures predicted to be over 35 degrees. In my time in the playground at recess and lunch, I am still noticing children without hats on their heads. Please ensure that your child has a school hat with them each day, their water bottles are full and that the children are applying sun cream to ensure they are being sun smart. 

Colour Run
The end of the week will certainly be an exciting time for the community as the school’s annual Colour Run takes place. Below you will find a little bit of further information about the Colour Run.  However, to ensure that everyone is aware of the finer details an seperate email mail out will be sent earlier next week

A reminder that sponsorship sheets are due back to school by Wednesday 30th of October. The Colour Run is a fantastic opportunity to raise funds for the school to ensure that we continue to provide the children at St Emilie’s with all of the resources they require for their learning. 

Year Two Blue
This week and until the end of term you may notice a familiar face around the school with Ms Veronica Williams rejoining the school staff. Ms Williams has most recently been overseas teaching and enjoying some time travelling. 

Ms Williams rejoins the staff here at the school while Mrs Sandra Leavy recovers from surgery on her sore back. We keep Mrs Leavy in our thoughts and prayers during her recovery. 

Do you or someone you know need help with providing uniforms?
In 2023, a very kind and generous offer was made by one of our community members who would like to remain anonymous to supply uniforms for a child in our community whose family may be doing it tough. In 2024, this very generous person has once again made contact with the school to share this offer with the community. 

If you or someone you know is having a difficult time at present and has concerns about providing uniforms for a child in 2025, please email me at chris.burns@cewa.edu.au and we will be able to assist. All emails sent to myself will be treated as strictly private and confidential. 

Friday Lunch Orders – Menu Changes
We once again have Jamaica Blue on board at the school to provide lunches to children on Friday over the course of Term Four. There have been some new and exciting menu items that have been added to the menu and I would encourage all families to have a look at what is on offer to support this local business. 

A link to how to organise lunches can be found on our school website at https://stemiliescps.wa.edu.au/parents/school-lunch-orders/ 

2025 Class Requests
The period for parents and carers to lodge official class requests for 2025 has now opened. If you have any class requests for your child for 2025, these need to be sent in writing to the school admin account at stemiliesadmin@cewa.edu.au. While we will certainly take your requests into account when we are organising classes for 2025, requests are not guaranteed. The period for official class requests to be sent to school will close on Monday 28th October. 

Is your child returning to St Emilie’s in 2025?
As we draw closer to the end of the year, planning has commenced at the school for the commencement of the 2025 school year. If your child is not returning to St Emilie’s for the 2025 school year, can you please email the school Administration on stemiliesadmin@cewa.edu.au to notify the school. 

Fee Balances
As we enter Term Four, it is timely for families who have remaining fee balances to work toward closing these balances for the year. The school fees that parents and carers pay at St Emilie’s are a vital source of income for our school and ensure that we can resource the school in the best way for the children in our care. 

We recognise from time to time that families may have difficulty in paying school fees. If this is the case, I would ask that you contact the Administration Office to arrange a confidential conversation with myself. 

Uniform Standards
As we enter Term Four, I would like to remind parents and carers of the School Uniform Procedures for the school which can be found on the school website using this link https://stemiliescps.wa.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/St_Emilie_s_School_Uniform_Procedure_2021.pdf.  

A reminder to all families that as part of the School Uniform Procedures, there are clear guidelines for the wearing of accessories, as well as for haircuts, which all parents and carers agree to upon enrolment of their child here at St Emilie’s. Locally, our school enjoys a strong reputation and this is partly down to the standards that are expected for children around such things as uniforms. I encourage parents and carers to ensure that ‘holiday haircuts’ do not return with your child back to school this term and that you continue to support the school in upholding standards around uniforms. 

Parent Circle
Parent Circle will return again in Term Four. The dates for the upcoming term are as indicated below: 

Thursday 31st October – General Morning Tea (depending on numbers due to Colour Run) 

Thursday 14th November – Mindfulness 

Thursday 28th November – Christmas Lunch and visit from Santa 

Staff Profiles
Over the course of the year, we have been sharing Staff Profiles of staff from our school. This week, we share with you the Staff Profile of Mrs Sam Lim. Mrs Lim can be found working in the role of Education assistant across the school. Please enjoy finding out more about Mrs Lim.