Term Two Week One – Commencing Monday 28th April 2025

Welcome to our Community 
I am delighted to share that across our school to commence Term Two, we welcome eight new children and families who start their journey at St Emilie’s. Due to the collective energy and dedication of our community to the growth of the children in our care, St Emilie’s has an outstanding reputation in the local community. 

We welcome the new families that are joining us. I ask that when you, as a parent or carer, have the opportunity to introduce yourself to our new families, you take the opportunity. This is what makes our community a strong one. 

ANZAC Day 
On Friday, our nation will pause to stop and reflect on those men and women who served our country during conflict. On Monday afternoon, the staff and children will come together to participate in a prayer service for ANZAC Day. To those men and women who lost their lives in the service of our beautiful country, we say ‘Lest We Forget’. 

Uniform Reminder – Haircuts & Perm A Pleat Schoolwear 
A reminder to please ensure that your child has the correct uniform to commence Term Two. It is important that our children are encouraged to wear their uniform with pride to ensure we continue to instil a sense of pride for the place our children come to learn. 

I would like to remind parents about ensuring that your child’s haircut is appropriate to start school, including hair that does not have extremes in length or lines and designs shaved into the hair. 

A reminder also that our new uniform provider, Perm A Pleat Schoolwear in Forestdale, stock our winter items. 

Further details about uniform, including details about Perm A Pleat and the School Uniform Procedure, can be found here.

Sacrament of Reconciliation – Change of Dates
For the parents of children who are celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation this year, please note that due to some unforeseen circumstances, the dates for the Parent Workshops have needed to be altered. 

The new dates for the Parent and Child Workshops are indicated below: 

• Tuesday 27th of May @ 5:30pm 
• Thursday 29th of May @ 4:00pm & 5:15pm 

Additional information will be sent out closer to the dates for parents and carers to register for the workshops. 

Car Park Upgrades 
Over the course of the school holidays, the school car park has undergone some upgrades to enhance safety, as well as ensuring that it is crystal clear how the traffic is meant to flow at the school. This is the first stage of two stages, with the second stage taking place next year. 

If you ever walk to school, you will notice that a new gate has been commissioned and will be left open for people to use. This gate is accompanied by a crosswalk for pedestrians. Pedestrians are asked not to use the main drive through gate to come in and out of the school. This is extremely dangerous given the potential speed of cars coming off Amherst Road at the roundabout. 

Tree Lopping
Over the holidays, some tree lopping has occurred at the school with many trees being pruned as well as some trees considered unsafe being removed completely. In the lead up to Winter when our area can be hit by storms and damaging winds, this work is necessary to ensure the safety of all on site here at school.

Homework Club Review
Over the past few years, Homework Club has been available for children in Years Four to Six to nominate for in Terms Two and Three. The purpose of Homework Club was for children to attend for an hour and make a start with their Purposeful Practice/homework and ask for assistance if needed. 

Earlier this year, staff had an initial conversation and reflection on how Purposeful Practice should look at St Emilie’s. We will continue to review Purposeful Practice early next term to ensure that this model aligns with our School Vision for Learning and current educational best practice. At the same time, staff will review Homework Club and whether Homework Club actually complements our philosophy of Purposeful Practice. 

Further information will be shared about whether Homework Club is offered in 2025 in the coming weeks after staff have had time to review Homework Club. 

For further information on Purposeful Practice in the Parent Handbook.

Mother’s Day @ St Emilie’s in 2025 
Mother’s Day at St Emilie’s in 2025 will look slightly different from how it has in the past. Usually, an assembly has been attached to Mother’s Day with a morning tea offered for mothers and mother figures afterwards. 

In 2025, there will be a slight alteration to Mother’s Day with an aim of achieving the following: 

• Provide mothers and mother figures an opportunity to spend some quality time with their child for Mother’s Day 

• An opportunity for the fathers and father figures at the school to organise this event so that the mothers and mother figures can have a well deserved break on Mother’s Day. 

Further information about Mother’s Day will be shared next week, however, we ask you to make note of Friday 9th of May as a date for our celebration. 

Use of Seesaw 
Last term, school staff reflected on the use of Seesaw at the school. Seesaw is a terrific platform to keep parents and carers updated with your child’s growth and we truly value the time and energy of parents and carers to check Seesaw during the term. 

Going forward, Seesaw will be used to communicate information about teaching and learning only. There may be smaller, informal notices that are shared through Seesaw e.g. a call for donations of materials for craft etc. However, more formal information for parents and carers will be shared via email, which may include Seqta. 

As communicated last term, we ask that parents and carers do not communicate with staff via Seesaw as these messages can be missed, especially in the case of written approval for absences. The preferred written mode of communication between home and school is via email.

Term Two Parent Information 
Please note that updated information from your child’s class teacher and specialist teachers will be sent home on Friday. Please read this information to ensure that you have all the required information to ensure that this term is a smooth one. 

Kindy Enrolments 2026
We are now calling for Kindy enrolments for our 2026 Kindy cohort. If you know of anyone with a child due to commence Kindy in 2026 who would like to join our vibrant and diverse community, please encourage them to submit an enrolment application or contact the school for further details. 

Quality Catholic Education School Review
This term, our school will be participating in the Quality Catholic Education School Review process. This process which all Catholic schools take part in, provides an opportunity for a panel of educators external to the school to visit and affirm the great work that is happening, as well as to discuss the future direction of the school.

This process will take place in the first few weeks of the term and further information will be shared wit the community closer to the time. 

School Tours 
If you know of someone who would like a tour of the school, please let them know that on Tuesday 6th of May, school tours will be conducted at 9:30am and at 4:00pm. 

Parent Circle 
Parent Circle will once again take place at St Emilie’s this term. It was great to see so many new faces last term with many families sharing that the Wednesday sessions worked well. Stay tuned for information about dates.