St Kieran Newsletter Term 1, Week 1 - 6th February 2025

Principal's Message

Loving God,  
Our creator, our saviour, our companion, 
bless this journey, 
of a new school year that we undertake today.  
Refresh our souls and renew our spirits, 
as we embrace the beautiful ministry you have called us to.  
We welcome those who are new to this community, 
and ask that you strengthen them, 
to share the wonderful gifts you have given them.  
Lord, make our hearts pure as we all, 
prepare for the return of students to this school,  
and may you guide them to return with open hearts and minds eager to learn.  
We ask this in Your name.  

Amen. 

Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025. The Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican was opened on 24 December 2024, thus inaugurating the Ordinary Jubilee. On the following Sunday, 29 December 2024,  the Holy Door of the Pope’s Cathedral, Saint John Lateran, was opened.  Then, on 1 January 2025, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major was opened. Finally, on Sunday, 5 January 2025, the opening of the Holy Door of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. These last three Holy Doors will be closed on Sunday, 28 December 2025. 

A Jubilee is a special year of grace and conversion, involving prayer, pilgrimage and sacramental repentance, held every 25 years, or during other years as called for by the Pope. Through a series of concrete rituals, acts and commitments, the goal of a Jubilee year is to inspire and encourage holiness of life among the faithful and therefore to strengthen the Church’s witness to God’s loving mercy in and for the world. 

“Let your light shine before others, so they can see the good things you do and give glory to God.” – Matthew 5: 16 

One day, Pope Francis was walking through the Vatican Gardens when he saw a group of young children playing. He stopped to watch as they laughed and chased each other. Then one of the children, Claudia, ran up to him and asked, “Pope Francis, is the world ever going to get better? There are so many sad things happening!” 

Pope Francis sat down on a bench, smiling gently. “Claudia, do you know what I see when I look at you and your friends? I see hope – like a bright lamp shining in the night. Each of you is a little light that can help make the world a brighter and better place.” The children gathered around him. “How can we do that?” Jerome asked Pope Francis. 

The children thought about it. “So, if we pick up some rubbish at the park or help someone who’s lonely, that’s being a light?” Claudia asked. Pope Francis nodded. “Exactly! The Year of Jubilee reminds us that we’re on a journey together as pilgrims of hope. Even small acts, very small acts, can change the world around you ... and around me.” The children smiled, and one by one, they promised to be bright lights of hope wherever they go. 

Pope Francis said each of us is like a little lamp of hope. Some questions that you might like to ponder over are listed below: 

• How can you shine your light at home or school? 
• Can you think of a time when someone was kind to you? How did it make you feel? 
• What are some small ways we can help others take care of our world? 
• Imagine you’re a Pilgrim of Hope – what kind of world do you want to help create? 

A very warm (it has been) welcome back to all our families to the new year at St Kieran Catholic Primary School, and to those new families and children starting their journey with us we wish you all the best! I hope you all have had a wonderful break over Christmas and New Year and managed to get some rest and relaxation in.  

I look forward to seeing you all over the next few weeks, have a great start to the year! 

Best wishes and take care. 

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

New Staff and St Kieran Families

We have a few new staff that are joining us here at St Kieran for 2025. It is fantastic to welcome these new members to our St Kieran Family. We wish you all the very best and hope your time at St Kieran is a rewarding and joyful one. 
To those families who are joining our St Kieran Family, thank you for choosing to be a part of our school and we are very sure that it will not take you too long before you feel well and truly apart of the community. We hope you had a great first week! 

Staff News

Well our staff have been very busy over the holidays with the first few days being very full of new announcements! 

We had some wonderful engagement news over the holidays for one of our staff members. There is nothing better than planning a a few weddings at school in 2025 with so many staff ready to be helpers! Congratulations to Mr Matt Taylor and his fiancé Courtney. This is fantastic news and we wish you both all the very best. 

Not to be out done at all, Mr Ethan Bakic proposed as well to his fiancé Hope. Congratulations to you both and we are very excited for you as you begin this new phase in your lives. 

One of our new staff members Miss Tiffany Smith became Mrs Tiffany Johnson over the holidays as well. Celebrating a beautiful wedding in New Zealand with her now husband… Congratulations to you both and we look forward to welcoming you to St Kieran! 

Welcome Emma Donald who will be assisting us in the school office and taking over our social media and public relations. Welcome aboard to St Kieran Emma. 

We also welcome Rhiannon Tolliday who has joined us as a Education Assistant over the holidays. Rhiannon spent time with us during 2024 undertaking her course. Welcome to the St Kieran community Rhiannon. 

We say good bye to two of our wonderful Education Assistants who have let us know that they will not be returning to St Kieran. Daphne Lapierre has accepted a fulltime position at Our Lady of Mercy School Girrawheen for 2025. Daphne has been part time a St Kieran for a number of years and we wish her all the very best in her new role. Monique Smith has also let us know she will not be returning to St Kieran and will be spending a lot more time with her grand children and family. We wish you both all the very best and thank you for being part of our community. 

Term Dates 2025

Term 1 - Wednesday 5 February (Monday 3 February for staff) to Friday 11 April. 
Term 2 - Monday 28 April to Friday 4 July.
Term 3 - Monday 21 July to Friday 26 September. 
Term 4 - Monday 13 October to Friday 12 December (Friday 19 December for staff). 

Staff Professional Development Days 
Please note while these dates been set aside for 2025, there maybe circumstances that require us to adjust these during the year to cater for system and educational initiatives. The dates for 2025 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 your child is in Year 3 or 4 as it will be too late. Families need to ensure these are submitted to the college separately as St Kieran CPS and Servite College are separate schools.

Reconciliation Commitment Masses 15th and 16th February

Next weekend, all students who intend to enrol in the Sacrament of Reconciliation are required to attend one of the parish masses as a sign of their commitment. During the mass, students will be asked to stand and pledge their commitment to the Sacrament.  

Parish mass times are:  Saturday 15th Feb 6.30pm or Sunday 16th Feb at 9am.

Extreme Weather

At various stages during the year there is 'Extreme Weather' while the children are at school. This Extreme Weather applies to all types including, wind, storms and temperature. In particular when the temperature reaches above 38 degrees or there is dangerous weather, children will remain in the classroom and supervision for this period will be between the class teachers. 

Parent iPad Meeting

On Monday 24th 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 2025 in Year 2 or new families. All parents of students who will be in Year 2 or that are new to the school in 2025 are invited and we 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 2025

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 12th March and finishes on Monday 24th March, 2025. The tests dates for St Kieran are: 12th, 13th and 14th March, 2025 with catch up sessions in the following week.  

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

Uniform

Thank you to everyone for making the effort to be in school uniform for the first day - the students looked amazing!  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. 

When these rules are broken we follow the 1, 2, 3 Magic Program  

What is 1 2 3 Magic? 

1 2 3 Magic is a simple yet effective behaviour management program for parents and carers of children between 
2 and 12 years of age. 123 Magic is easy to learn and it works. It’s an approach which allows parents 
to be firm yet caring when managing behaviour, while avoiding the most common pitfall - talking too much 
and getting too emotional in response to some behaviour. 

When used effectively,1 2 3 Magic eliminates arguing, yelling and aggressiveness. It gives parents a simple and 
structured approach to: 

1. Controlling obnoxious behaviour (arguing, whining, fighting, tantrums)
2. Encouraging good behaviour (listening, going to bed, homework)
3. Strengthening their relationship with their child (praise, active listening, shared fun).

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 or to be used during the school day. 

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  

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. 

Parking at Sister Catherine's House of Hospitality

St Catherine's House of Hospitality, located opposite the school on Tyler Street is a centre run by the Sisters of Mercy. It offers peaceful and prayerful reflection, restful recreation and shelter or short term accommodation in a simple setting that encourages respect for all. The carpark behind this building is only to be used by parents of children with special needs or disabilities. If your child does not have special needs, we ask that you use other carparks such as the St Kieran Parish Church, located over on Cape Street.  

Drop off and Pick Up Arrangements

3 Year old Kindergarten- Mondays & 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 8.25am. 

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 

Starting next week (week 2), your child will either be collected from Drive Through pick up (Morgan st) or the Undercover Area (Assembly area), not the classroom as outlined in the Parent Information PowerPoint. 

However, for the remainder of this week (week 1) children can be picked up from the classroom to help with the initial transition.  

Please complete this form to let us know which area of pick up you will collect your child from.   

PP Pick Up 

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. 

SAFER INTERNET DAY

On Tuesday, February 11, students will be participating in Safer Internet Day activities in their classes. This is an initiative supported and resourced by the eSafety Commissioner. The theme for this year is Connect. Reflect. Protect. To compliment this initiative and support families, the eSaftey Commissioner has a variety of Webinars that families can watch together. 

Webinar link: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars 

There are some fantastic resources throughout the site which support, educate and inform families as we live, work and play in an increasingly connected world.  

Please remember, that if you or your family come across any harmful accounts on social media they are to be reported immediately and directly to the eSafety Commissioner: https://www.esafety.gov.au/report 

Parent Information Sessions

Parents are invited to a Safer Internet Day information session presented by Mr Simon Carabetta. There will be two sessions held on Tuesday February 11 in the Upper Learning Area.  

Session 1: 2pm - 3pm 

Session 2: 5pm - 6pm 

The sessions will focus on: 

• Online Gaming 
• Using Al safely 
• Smart Devices and your children 
• How to have difficult conversations 

Please register your interest and participation by completing the following form: Safer Internet Day: Parent Information Sessions form 

John XXIII College: Year 7 2028 Applications Closing Soon

A reminder to all Year 4 families who are interested in a John XXIII College secondary education for their child, to please ensure their Expression of Interest has been submitted by Friday 7 March 2025.

John XXIII College seeks to develop people of competence, conscience and compassion who are committed to seek justice and serve others.  Our vision is for all students to strive for excellence for themselves, their peers, and their community. 

To submit an Expression of Interest, and to find out more about John XXIII College, visit  https://www.johnxxiii.edu.au/view/enrolments/enrolments