St Kieran Newsletter Term 2, Week 9 - 22 June 2023

Principal's Message

God,  

You enfold us in gentleness  

and forgive our frailties.  

Bless our family  

and teach us to be humble in our giftedness  

and generous in sharing our blessings.  

Help us never to forget the closeness of Your presence.  

Amen. 

In the film, “Parenthood”, there is a particular scene of an aging grandmother who spends most of her time in the background and appears somewhat lost. Eventually, she is asked by one of her children how she and her husband managed to survive the parenting process. The grandmother is quiet for a while and then gives this reply:  

“When your father and I were young and just starting out with all of you, we used to love to go to the carnival and our favourite ride was the roller coaster. It went up and then way down, and way up and way down and sometimes it was so scary we held on for dear life, laughing out loud, feeling our hearts beat faster and faster. It was so exciting! Your father and I, we loved the roller coaster, it was a real adventure.”  

As the grandmother finishes her story, staring out through the window at days gone by, her children and grandchildren are left to wonder whether the old woman really knew what she had just said. But the audience was left with the distinct impression that she knew exactly what she was talking about. Being parents is like riding a roller coaster. Sometimes we’re up, sometimes we’re down; some days are filled with laughter, while other days are clouded by frustration and pain. Raising a family is like riding a roller coaster; it’s frantic and frightening in some ways but exciting and rewarding in more ways.  

For every person, the family is the cradle of life where they are born and grow; the climate of affection that unites the family is where we learn about truth and goodness. Unfortunately, not many of us live in extended families with several generations under the same roof. We’ve become a fast-moving, mobile society. We simply don’t have the time and opportunity to sit down after dinner and listen to our parents and grandparents pass along their tales and everyday stories. It was through these day to day stories that we learnt about our family members, about philosophies of life, the experience of those older and wiser than us. It was through these stories that value systems such as work ethic, family loyalty and honesty, the traditions of our Christian faith and its beliefs, were handed down. It was through these stories that we learnt to be accepted for who we were and learnt a sense of belonging – not because of the brand of jeans we wore – but because we were part of a unique family.  

No matter what size family we live in, we all rely on our family to provide an affirming, positive and loving experience that is supportive and gives us an identity of who we are and what’s unique about us. Family life teaches us how to share, how to support ourselves and how to love other people. In addition to providing for our physical welfare, a family provides for the emotional and mental welfare of each of its members. Family provides the esteem and confidence when we set out to face each new day and family provides the comfort and consolation when we return.  

If you’re looking for investment advice, go for the advisor who tells you to invest in your family. The dividends will come daily, will be warming to the heart and will provide a consistent stream of emotional security; what an inheritance your children will have.  

Next week will be a cold week, makes sure you keep nice and warm and look after yourselves. 

Take care and stay safe. 

Mr Daine Burnett 

Principal 

daine.burnett@cewa.edu.au 

Celebrate NAIDOC Week

Term Dates

Please make sure you have made note of the dates during this term. We conclude Term 2 on Friday 30th June and begin Term 3 on Tuesday 18th July. Please note the Monday 17th July is a professional development day - pupil free day. 

Cross Country

Due to the weather we have postponed the Cross Country until Tuesday. The day will run exactly the same with Tuesdays weather being a lot more favourable. Apologies for any inconvenience. 

Unwell Students

Can we please ask that unwell students are not sent to school. This in turn has an impact on the other students as well as the staff. Your consideration around this matter is appreciated.

ySafe Parent Session

In Term 3 we will be holding student, staff and parent sessions from ySafe around online safety at St Kieran Catholic Primary School. The session for students in Year 3 - 6 and staff will be held during the day, while a parent session will be held on Wednesday 26th July from 6 - 7pm in the Upper Learning Area. Please use the registration link and further information are below. 

https://bit.ly/stkieran-ps 

Protecting children in their digital worlds is an ever-evolving task for Australian families. Now more than ever parents are looking for guidance in how to manage screen time and navigate the world of games and social media.  

We are therefore pleased to help our parent community by offering a crucial and engaging education session with ySafe, Australia’s leading provider of cyber safety education. This practical, strategy-rich session will cover the most important points that all families need to know about online safety, covering key information about social media and gaming, screen time recommendations and step-by-step instructions on how to set up a cyber safe home for children of all ages. 

If you’ve ever struggled with getting your children off their games and into bed, worried about the content of the games that they are playing or felt concerned that your child was spending too much time in the digital world, this workshop is for you! 

Servite College

Just a reminder to all of our St Kieran families you must get your children's applications into Servite College nice and early. Please don’t wait until Year 5 or 6 as it will be too late. The earlier you submit these enrolment applications the better. 

Parking - Servite Friars

Just again, another reminder about parking, to ensure that St Kieran families only park in the appropriate areas. Please don’t park at the Servite Friars and please don’t park in the Servite Staff areas (houses) - this is where the staff from Servite and St Kieran park.  

Reports for 2023 - UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILD’S REPORT

Parents will receive 2 formal academic reports this year:  

JULY – MID YEAR REPORT 

This report provides parents with a ‘snapshot in time’ of how their child is progressing in relation to the end of year achievement standard for each learning area for their year level. The grade provided is taking into account the curriculum which has been taught and assessed to that point in time. 

DECEMBER – END OF YEAR REPORT 

This report provides parents with an overview of how their child has progressed, across the entire year, in relation to the end of year Achievement Standard for each learning area for their year level. The grade provided is taking into account the curriculum which has been taught and assessed across the entire year, not just Semester 2. 

Understanding the Grading System 

Is a ‘C’ grade good? Yes, you should celebrate C grades as this indicates that your child has progressed to the desired level of understanding for his/her year level. 

Is a ‘C’ grade just a pass like it used to be? No, a C grade today, is the expected Achievement Standard for each year level and each Learning Area. 

Does an ‘A’ or ‘B’ grade mean my child is working a year or two above their current grade? No, an ‘A’ or ‘B’ grade means that your child is responding to the content taught to a deeper level. They may be thinking more critically about the content, which is a wonderful skill to demonstrate. 

How are final grades determined? Teachers collect numerous samples of work and assessments to determine the final grade. The grade is determined with the use of the School Curriculum and Standards Authority’s (SCSA) Judging Standards. For more information on this go to https://parent.scsa.wa.edu.au/   

We hope this information assists you to understand the reporting process at St Kieran Catholic Primary School. If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask your child’s teacher. 

Fathers and Kids Camping Weekend 2023! 

Get on board and book a campsite for the 2023 Fathers and Kids Camping trip to Yanchep National Park on Friday 15th and Saturday 16th September. Book now so you don’t miss out!  https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/site/henry-white-oval-campground 

If you cannot get a campsite - please email me at dtraynor@jsracs.wa.edu.au. We have reserved a few spares just in case. All ages are welcome! Kindy through to year 6.  

Join us for one or two nights for some fun, adventure, games and activities. Proudly supported by St Kieran Catholic Primary School and Kieran Connect.  

  If you have any questions, please email me at dtraynor@jsracs.wa.edu.au or message me on 0437 800 948.  Once booked, please let me know as soon as possible, so I can email you more details closer to the event. 

Winter Holiday Workshops

Kieran Connect

West Coasters Netball Club

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Creative Kids Art Club