St Kieran Newsletter Term 1, Week 2 - 8 February 2024

Principal's Message

Spirit of God,  
through the witness of our Christian lives,  
may we spread the warmth of, 
Your love and the fire of Your forgiveness.  

Amen. 

Jesus said that people would recognise us as His disciples by the way we love one another: “And now I give you a new commandment: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples”. 

– John 13: 34,35.  

One of the main ways in which love is expressed is in forgiveness and forgiveness is the way in which we demonstrate Christ’s presence and the way in which Christians make a real difference to the welfare of the world’s people. This what makes us catholic. 

“I only learnt to forgive when I saw how destructive my hate was, how it consumed my energies, crippled my friendships and disabled any good that I wanted to do. All I did was hurt my self.” - anonymous. 

A quick look around the world will illustrate how true these words are. There is little doubt that forgiveness is an important way in which the hatred between people and nations can be absorbed, neutralised and brought to nothing. More than ever the world needs the message of Christ’s “new commandments” to be proclaimed through the lives and influence of Christians – Christ’s disciples.  

Forgiveness can be infectious; the impact of our act of forgiveness towards another person can make them rethink their circumstance and perhaps lead to further forgiveness. Of course, like most things, forgiveness begins “at home”; firstly, within ourselves to clean out the “baggage” we have been carrying around for perhaps years, then to our family, extended family and farther out.  

Mahatma Ghandi once said that if everyone were to follow the “eye for an eye” principle of revenge, the whole world would go blind. So, too, might it be said that if everyone were to practise forgiveness what a splendid vision the world would offer. So let’s dismantle our structures of bitterness, resentment and hatred, bring out our forgiveness and be Christian in deed.  

We keep this in mind as the Year 3 classes begin their Reconciliation journey this week and attend the Commitment Masses on Saturday and Sunday. We keep all the students in our thoughts and prayers as you being the preparation for this important sacrament. 

Best wishes and take care. 

Mr Daine Burnett 
Principal 
Daine.burnett@cewa.edu.au

School Calendar

A reminder to all families to continue to check the school calendar on our website for dates and events that are coming up during the term. 

Term Dates 2024

Term 1 Wednesday 31 January (Monday 29 January for staff) to Thursday 28 March  

Term 2 Monday 15 April to Friday 28 June  

Term 3 Monday 15 July to Friday 20 September  

Term 4 Monday 7 October to Friday 6 December (Friday 13 December for staff) 

Staff Professional Development Days

Please note while these dates been set aside for 2024, there maybe circumstances that require us to adjust these during the year to cater for system and educational initiatives. The dates for 2024 are: 

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 3 or 4 to submit this application. Families need to ensure these are submitted nice and early to the college.  

Ash Wednesday

Next Wednesday (Feb 14th) is Ash Wednesday and is the first day of the Lenten Season that we celebrate as a Faith Community. Students will be celebrating Ash Wednesday at the St Kieran Parish at 9:00am with a Liturgy with Father Wilson. Year 6s will be participating in the Liturgy before they head off for camp.  

Parent iPad Meeting

On Tuesday 20th February at 6:00pm in the Upper Learning Area. Mr Nathan Fonceca from IT Dynamics will run the session and will clarify any information you may need in relation to your child's iPad for 2024 in Year 2 or 3. All parents of students who will be in Year 2 or 3 in 2024 are invited and ask that a least one parent attend the meeting. 

The invitation is also open to any new parents or those who need clarification on iPad use at St Kieran. 

NAPLAN 2024

NAPLAN is a National Literacy and Numeracy assessment that students in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. NAPLAN Information for parents and caregivers went out via students in Year 3 and 5 this week. Please check your child's school bag. 

The NAPLAN test window starts on Wednesday 13th March and finishes on Monday 25th March, 2024. The tests dates for St Kieran are: 13th, 14th and 15th March, with catch up sessions in the following week.  

For more information about NAPLAN https://nap.edu.au/ 

Uniform

The new uniform is now compulsory for 2024, there are no variations to this. Staff will be sending home notifications of incorrect uniform to families beginning week 2. A reminder that for the academic uniform the below shoes are to be worn - black lace up school shoes for both boys and girls. I would ask all parents to refer to the Uniform Policy on our school website.

https://stkierancps.schoolzineplus.com/_file/media/2012/school_uniform_guidelines_2024.pdf 

Student Birthdays

Just a reminder to all families that student birthdays are celebrated in class and at assemblies. We do ask that parents don’t send in food, lollies, cake etc to the school. We would also ask that parents don’t ask staff to hand out birthday invitations to students nor put them in their bag. 

Procedure to Deal with Incidents

Unfortunately at times during the school day there are incidents that may arise that require intervention or follow up by either the staff or by parents. To assist with this process the procedure is located on the website, it may give you some strategies to work through during these times of heightening emotions. The one element to remember is that mistakes can be made and as a catholic school we forgive and reconcile and move forward together. 

https://stkierancps.schoolzineplus.com/_file/media/1351/dispute_complaint_resolution_procedure.pdf 

School Rules

The St Kieran School rules are listed below and as members of the community we are always expected to follow these. Can we ask that all parents talk to their children about these rules and if you like feel free to implement these at home. 

• Be Safe - Always use your body and equipment in ways that will keep you and others safe. 
• Be Respectful - Consider others and the environment, allowing people to treat others as they wish to be treated.  
• Be Responsible - Take ownership of your actions, choices, learning and belongings

St Kieran Parish Shrine Area

Unfortunately we have been asked to send this message out to the children and parents regarding respecting the Shrine grounds at the St Kieran Parish. We are very fortunate to be able to use the carpark and also this area for parents to be able to collect their children, however we the below points are made it is important that the property is respected. 

  If all children awaiting parent pick up after school, please refrain from: 

• throwing rocks, wooden chips, sand and garden clippings in the pond; 
• climbing/standing on the pillar edges; 
• swinging on the hand rails; 
• playing behind the waterfall wall feature and within the garden beds. 

The St Kieran Parish have indicated that if there is any damage caused those person will be liable for it. It is impornant to note that there are cameras in this area to confirm any damage.  

Traffic Crossing

We must remind all families and students that we have a cross walk attendant in place between the church and school for everyone to safely cross Cape Street. This has been in place for a long time for the benefit of school and community members, and while we appreciate that it may not be the quickest place to cross, it is the safest. I would ask you all to please think about walking the extra metres to ensure that the area remains safe and the traffic continues to move safely. 

If any of our community members would like to explore the possibility of becoming a relief traffic warden please make contact with the office and we can direct you down the correct path for training and further information.  

Mobile Phones and Smart Watches

Smart watches can be worn to school; however, we ask parents to turn off any features that allow the watch to be used for anything other than telling the time while at school. If a student is using it for any other reason, then it is exactly like a mobile phone and it MUST be handed in to the front office. If your child is required to bring a mobile phone to school, for instance they walk home or catch the bus, then a mobile phone permission form must be completed and the phone needs to be handed in to the office each morning and collected at the end of the school day. At no time is a phone permitted to be left in a students bag. 

Code of Conduct

The purpose of the Code of Conduct is to describe minimum standards of conduct in all behaviour and decision making to ensure the safety and well-being of students. The Code of Conduct applies to staff, students, volunteers, parents and guardians in our community.  The document is available on our school website and everyone in our community is expected to abide by this. https://www.stkieran.wa.edu.au/st-kieran-code-of-conduct-and-guidelines 

A breach of the Code may constitute a failure to follow a lawful direction from the Principal and therefore the Principal will have the discretion as to what action to take, which may include counselling, professional development or sanctions under any agreement between you and the Principal. If you are a parent, volunteer or visitor, the Principal may take such action as is appropriate in your circumstances to maintain the safety and well-being of students. If at anytime members of our community feel that a person has breached the code the forms for breaching or notification are located here on our school website https://www.stkieran.wa.edu.au/reporting These forms report directly to the principal. 

School Attendance 

Academic success and engagement are intricately linked with school attendance. We ask parents to set the expectation of daily attendance, establish good morning routines that ensure students arrive to school on time and try to ensure all family holidays are booked during the school holiday period.   

 All absentee notifications to be emailed to admin@stkieran.wa.edu.au. Please ensure that any absence is communicated promptly to the school to ensure that you child is accounted for.  

Communication

Our staff are committed to the best interests of your child and value the relationships they have with both students and parents. For any matters, communication should be made directly with the child’s teacher. This may be referred to the Assistant Principal or Principal on a needs basis.  

Staff will respond to parent concerns in a manner that takes into consideration their workload and teaching hours when receiving the communication. Please be aware that there is no expectation for staff to check or respond to electronic communication outside of school hours, over the weekend or during school holidays. 

The staff at St Kieran are very approachable and are very easy to contact - each staff member has their own professional email address firstname.surname@cewa.edu.au for example daine.burnett@cewa.edu.au that you can use or you are also welcome to call the office and leave a message for them to return your call. 

Allergy Aware

A reminder that we are Allergy Aware at St Kieran, we have many of our families that rely on our vigilance, which means we all need to be mindful of the following life threatening allergic reactions at the school. Below is a list of allergies we are aware of: 

• All Nuts 
• Eggs (raw or cooked), meringues   
• Kiwi fruit, bananas, figs 
• Mosquito bites 
• Insect repellents 
• Honey and Bee venom 
• Legumes  

Drop off and Pick Up Arrangements

3 Year old Kindergarten- Tuesdays 

Drop Off 

Classroom open at 9.00am for a 9.15am start. Students need to be delivered to the classroom. 

Families can enter the school grounds via the Cape Street gate from 9.00am. 

Pick up  

From the classroom at 2.15pm by an authorised adult. 

Kindy 

Drop Off 

In the morning - PLEASE DO NOT ENTER THE KINDY / PP OUTSIDE AREA BEFORE 8.25AM. This area becomes congested, and staff need to set up outdoor activities for the day. If you are at school earlier, please enter via the Tyler Street gate and wait in the undercover area. 

Kindy families can enter the school grounds via the Cape Street gate from 8.35am. 

Pick Up 

Students need to be collected from the classroom at 2.45pm by a parent/guardian or authorised person. 

Drive through pick up is NOT an option for Kindy students. 

Students who attend Mulberry Tree or Tuart Hill Day Care will be collected from the classroom by day-care staff and walked to the undercover area, where they wait for other students to be dismissed at 3pm. 

Pre-Primary 

Drop Off 

In the morning - PLEASE DO NOT ENTER THE KINDY / PP OUTSIDE AREA BEFORE 8.25am. This area becomes congested, and staff need to set up outdoor activities for the day. If you are at school earlier, please enter via the Tyler Street gates and wait in the undercover area. Students are supervised in the undercover area from 8.10am so parents can leave their child in the care of the duty teacher if they wish.  

Alternatively students can be dropped off in the drive through on Morgans Street from 8.10am and students then wait in the undercover area until 8.25am. 

Pick Up 

Students can be collected from the classroom at 3pm.  

Students who need to be collected from the drive through on Morgans Street, will be walked to the pickup area at 3pm by an Education Assistant and left in the care of duty teachers. If you wish for this to occur a written note or email must be provided to the school. 

Students who attend Mulberry Tree or Tuart Hill Day Care will be collected from the classroom by day-care staff and walked to the undercover area, where they wait for other students to be dismissed at 3pm. 

Year 1-6 

Drop Off 

In the morning - families can enter the school grounds via the Tyler Street gates from 8.10am and wait in the undercover area until the 8.25am bell goes. 

Alternatively students can be dropped off in the drive through on Morgans Street from 8.10am and students then wait in the undercover area until 8.25am. 

Pick Up 

Students can be collected from the undercover area - not out in front of the classrooms. 
Spaces outside of the classrooms can be very congested, so please decide to meet your child in the undercover area. Supervision is provided in this area until the gates close at 3.20pm. 

Students can be collected from the drive through on Morgans Street. 

If you wish for your child to walk with an older sibling or meet you at the church carpark, a written note or email must be provided to the school. Families who choose this option must be aware that St Kieran Staff will not be supervising your child at the church, and they must walk over Cape Street with the Crosswalk Attendant. 

If you wish for your child to walk to Servite and meet an older sibling, a written note or email must be provided to the school.  

Please note any changes to a student’s pick up arrangements please email admin@stkieran.wa.edu.au 

Give sufficient time for your message to be delivered to the classroom, alternatively please call 63832600. 

Morgans Street Kiss and Drive

We know the morning and afternoon drive through can be a very busy place, which relies on all families doing the right thing to ensure it runs smoothly. In order to keep it flowing, we ask that parents stay in their car at these times. If you need to get out of the car to assist your child with their seatbelt, then please park your car in an appropriate place and walk into school. Students are encouraged to independently get themselves in and out of the car, put their bags in and do up their own seatbelt.  

There are signs asking parents to continue to Drive Forward so we can get as many children out of the cars as quickly as possible in the morning. When a parent stops at the Morgans Street gate it stops all the other cars behind them, which then creates issues on Morgans Street for our local residents. 

Swimming 2024

Dear Parents / Guardians

This years faction swimming carnival for students in years 4-6 will be held at Bayswater Waves on Tuesday the 12th of March. More information regarding times and details of the day will be sent out closer to the date. 
At the carnival, students compete in races based on their swimming level and only compete against students in an equivalent level.
At the completion of last years swimming lessons the school received a document listing the swimming level each child is currently in.
We will be using these levels to place each student into the appropriate races based on the swimming and water safety continuum from the Department of Education.

The following table outlines the races each level will compete in.

If you are happy that the school uses this document to allocate your child’s events you do not need to reply to this email.

You only need to reply to this email if your child is new to St Kieran, has completed another stage since our last school swimming lessons. If you have any concerns about your child’s swimming level or would like to clarify races they will be competing in please send an email to matthew.taylor@cewa.edu.au

Kind Regards,

Matthew Taylor
Physical Education Teacher

Quiz Night

St Denis Parish Church in Joondanna is holding a Quiz Night on Friday, March 8 in the St Denis Primary School Hall. Doors open at 7.00 p.m. for a 7.30 p.m. start.

Tables of up to eight people; BYO drinks and nibbles. Entry cost is $10 per person (cash only; no card facilities.) There will also be a continuous raffle during the evening with loads of prizes so please bring a few extra dollars with you.   

It promises to be a fun night out for family and friends, and we hope you can support our evening. Money raised will be used to make improvements to the parish function area.

To book a table, or to make any other enquiries please contact Geoff (gkissane52@gmail.com or 0475 273 246) 

Behaviour Tonics

CSPWA Parent Induction Evening

Australian Girls Choir – Perth Open Day