Term Two Week Two – Commencing Tuesday 28th April 2026

Dear Families, 

This weekend, as a nation, we prepare to once again honour those brave men and women who have given everything for the freedom we enjoy in Australia today. This weekend, we remember the ANZAC’s. 

On Thursday, the children and staff at the school joined together in the undercover area to pay our respects to the ANZAC’s. Given the lives that we enjoy in 2026, it is really difficult to imagine the times when young men and women were leaving Australia for conflict zones overseas. As I walk around St Emilie’s, I give thanks that our children live in a time of relative peace and safety, and that they do not have to endure the difficulties of generations gone before. Seeing our children play, free and happy at their school, which keeps them safe, is a joyful sight and one that is not lost on me. 

This weekend is a time for gratitude. I encourage you to take time to reflect on all that you are grateful for in your lives, and at the same time, share your thoughts and prayers for those who have gone before us, fighting for Australia’s freedom. 

Lest we forget. 

A reminder that on Monday, there will be no school due to the ANZAC Day Public Holiday. School will resume on Tuesday, the 28th of April. I wish you and your family a very lovely long weekend. 

Multilingual Welcome Signs Workshops
Mrs Tonkin has shared an email with the community yesterday, about finalising our exciting project, which will aim to celebrate and acknowledge the cultural and linguistic diversity of our community here at St Emilie’s.

On Friday, May 1st, Mrs Tonkin, Mrs Aroozoo and Ms Carcione, invite families to attend a workshop straight after the Year Two Assembly to create 24 welcome signs in the most prominent language groups here at St Emilie’s. 

The languages that we are looking to have represented at the workshop include:  

We are inviting representatives from these language groups to join us at school, after the Year Two Assembly on Friday, the 1st of May, at approx 9:30am. 

In 2026, these signs, which will be unique to the cultural groups, will be displayed here at the school to honour our diverse community. 

Please spread the word to those you feel would like to attend!

Mother’s Day @ St Emilie’s in 2026 – The Morning of Friday the 8th of May
Mother’s Day at St Emilie’s in 2026 will follow a format as it did last year, where mothers and mother figures are given the ‘gift of time’ with their children. The school will once again run an activity for mothers and their children, with a morning tea to enjoy for the mothers in our community.  

In 2026, as was the case in 2025, we aim to achieve the following: 

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

• To provide 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, the 8th of May, as a date for our celebration. Fathers and father figures, we are once again looking to have you join us to assist, so if you are free on that day, please reach out. 

Parent Information
Please note that updated information from your child’s class teacher and specialist teachers will be sent home next week if it hasn’t been sent home already. Please read this information to ensure that you have all the required information to ensure that this term is a smooth one. 

School Advice on Illness – What do you need to know about gastro?
As we enter the colder and wetter months of the year, typically, we see an increase in children absent from school as they are unwell. While the spread of various illnesses is difficult to contain in a school environment, we can all play our part to limit the knock-on effects of germs and bugs, which includes children missing school. 

As a school, our desire for the children is that they are at school for as many days as possible out of the school term, so they do not miss valuable learning time. One of the most common illnesses that does the rounds in schools is gastro. 

‘Gastro’ occurs when a person is unwell due to an infection, which causes people to have diarrhoea or vomiting. Gastro is highly contagious, and there have been instances in the past where gastro makes its way through a particular classroom quickly. In the younger years, gastro can be particularly prominent due to the tactile nature of the learning environment, which we know is essential for the development of children. 

If your child presents with symptoms associated with gastro when they are at home, as per the guidelines set by the WA Department of Health, children must remain at home for at least 24 hours until the symptoms have subsided. This ensures that there is limited opportunity for the germs to spread, and hopefully, keeps as many children (and staff members) at school as possible. If your child is unwell at school due to gastro, parents will be contacted to collect their child, and once again, children will be required to stay away from school for at least 24 hours to contain the spread. 

If your child becomes unwell over the school term, it is unhelpful to blame or point fingers about who may have passed on germs or how they may have become unwell.  Unfortunately, the spread of germs is part of school life, and we will continue to ensure we promote healthy hygiene practices to limit the spread of germs. 

For further information about gastro, please visit the WA Health Fact Sheet, which can be found here.

Three Week Mid Year Break 2027
Late last year, community consultation across our Catholic system of schools was sought about the potential for a three week mid year break to be introduced across CEWA schools in 2027. The feedback from the replies received by CEWA has been strongly in favour of such a move, and in 2027, the midterm break between Term Two and Term Three will be extended from two weeks to three weeks. 

The extension of the mid year break is hoped to increase wellbeing across the community, improve academic outcomes and increase student attendance. 

Across the year, although there are five additional days being added to the holiday break between Term Two and Term Three, children will only actually have one less contact day at school overall. The rest of the days will be made up through an earlier start in January 2027, as well as the absorption of two Pupil Free Days, which will hopefully minimise any impact on families. 

For now, it is important that families are aware that the first day back for children in 2027 will be on Thursday, the 28th of January. This may have an impact on the travel plans of families. 

When looking at term dates for 2027, please be aware not to follow the term dates for the WA Public Schools, as this information will now be different from St Emilie’s. 

Further information on the three week md year break will be shared with the community as the year rolls on. 

Kindy Enrolment 2027
It is that time of year when we are starting to call for Kindy enrolments for 2027. If you have a child who is due to attend Kindy next year, or you know someone who has a child that age, please encourage them to submit an application as soon as possible. Our Kindy program has proved to be extremely popular over the last few years, and it is advised that parents and carers submit an application sooner rather than later. 

Three Year Old Kindy 2027
I am pleased to share that once again in 2027, our school will be offering a Three Year Old Kindy Program for children who turn three in 2027. Further information will be shared with school families about how you can enrol your child in this program. 

School Calendar
To ensure that you stay on top of all things St Emilie’s this term, please visit the School Calendar, which can be found here.

Term Two P & F Community Meeting
In 2026, the school will continue with the model for P & F Meetings, which was introduced in 2025. That is, each term, there will be one P & F Meeting dedicated to the P & F Committee for planning time, and there will be one P & F Meeting open to the whole community, where we sincerely invite as many people from our community to attend to share ideas, and find out how they can assist with upcoming P & F events. 

This term, the P & F Community Meeting will take place on Thursday, the 25th of June @ 8:45am in the Administration Office. Please come on down for a cuppa and light morning tea to find out about all things P & F. 

School Calendar
To ensure that you stay on top of all things St Emilie’s this term, please visit the School Calendar, which can be found here.

Before School Soccer
Next week, Junior Goals is offering before school soccer lessons for students in Years One to Six.  Please see below in our ‘Wider Community’ section for the flyer and find the link to join here.

Term Three Father’s Day BBQ & Open Classrooms – Save the Date!
In 2026, the traditional Father’s Day Breakfast event and the Open Night event will be rolled into one event, which will take place on the afternoon of Thursday, the 3rd of September. This time of year, typically at St Emilie’s, and in other schools in the lead up to Father’s Day, is very busy. Often, it can be tricky for families to create time to attend the Father’s Day Breakfast and Open Classrooms separately, while at the same time, creating time to attend events in other schools around this time. 

By rolling the Father’s Day BBQ & Open Classrooms into one event, we are hoping to ensure that as many fathers and father figures as possible can get to school to be spoiled, alongside their families, while at the same time, being provided with an opportunity to view the terrific learning that is on display in the classrooms. While families are doing their walk around to view the classrooms, other families will be enjoying their BBQ dinner, as well as spending the time catching up with other families at the school, in what we hope is a real community centred atmosphere on the evening. 

Given this event is in Term Three, details have not been finalised, however, we ask that you make a date in your diary for the afternoon of Thursday, the 3rd of September, to join us for a bite to eat to celebrate fathers and father figures, and for open Classrooms. 

Congratulations to Ms Carcione
In really exciting news for Ms Carcione and our community, over the school holidays, Ms Carcione became engaged. At St Emilie’s, we love a celebration, and this terrific news is certainly worth celebrating. Congratulations to Ms Carcione and Matthew on this terrific news!