St Kieran Newsletter Term 1, Week 9 - 3rd April2025

Principal's Message

“I, why?” This poem, probably, has been uttered by millions of people, each using their own particular words as they probe the mystery of who they are. One such person was Jesus, who on the last night of His life knelt amongst the olive trees and agonised over the prospect of what lay ahead of Him. He almost begged His Father, “All things are possible, take, if You will, this cup from me. Nevertheless, not My will but Your will be done.”  Luke 22:42  

A second person to publicly confront the purpose of his existence was St Paul who, as Saul of Tarsus, was a devout Jew and a Pharisee. He could not believe it when he heard that people were saying that a crucified carpenter was the Messiah whom God had sent to save the world, because it was so at variance with what he had expected the Messiah to be. Saul had expected the Messiah to come like another David figure, with a sword in his hand to wipe out the enemies of Israel and establish Jerusalem as the new Rome.  

So, he set out to destroy the believers of this. After witnessing the execution of Stephen, the first Christian Martyr, he was on his way to Damascus, when he had a life altering experience, described as a blinding light that knocked him off his horse. He had encountered something outside of himself that caused him to  reorganise his life almost entirely.
He spent a number of years working through what had occurred and then set out to preach the “crucified carpenter” to the nations around Israel. His preaching condemned such things as greed, lust, anger, slander, disrespect, lying and racial divisions and extolled the virtues of compassion, kindness, patience, forgiveness, love, peace and gratitude. Colossians 3:1-17.  

The well known author, C.S. Lewis, once wrote, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” Maybe this Lent we can devote our attention to ponder the “I, why?” of our existence by using our Christian heritage to help us to see more clearly the purpose of our life.  

In a culture addicted to self-indulgence, can we do as Christ and St Paul did and serve others with our time, energy, money; can we be agents for reconciliation between estranged family members; can we listen to and understand those who are different to us; can we, in our workaholic culture, take time out to pray for ourselves, for others in our life, for others who are not in our life but are in wars and droughts and oppression somewhere in our world; can we, as St Paul did, take time out, use the forty days of Lent to make adjustments to our way of life, to be more obviously Christian in the way we give expression to our “I, why?”  

Spirit of God within me,  
Help me this Lent to grow in  
gratitude for my life.  
Help me to reveal the face of Christ,  
to other people as they enter into my  
life.  
Amen. 

I hope the week has been good to you all and remember if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. 

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. We conclude Term 1 for students on Thursday 10th April and return to school for all students on Tuesday 29th April to begin Term 2. 

Kindy 2026 Enrolments

We are accepting Kindy Enrolments for 2026, with interviews beginning this term for students to start at St Kieran next year. All parents need to submit an application to make sure your child is enrolled at St Kieran Catholic Primary School for 2026. 
 If you have any questions or would like clarification, please ring the school Administration. 

Uniform

Just a friendly reminder to make sure that you have written your children's names on items, such as jumpers to ensure that they can be returned to the rightful owner. Labels or tags can be cut off as they maybe annoying for the children so please look at other options for putting the children's name on these items.

Packed with Goodness - Save the Date!

Packing children's lunches is like trying to predict the weather—one day they love sandwiches, the next day they act like you’ve packed them a live snake. To help out, Mrs Pusey has organised a presentation for parents from the Packed with Goodness team. During this session, parents will be provided with new ideas to make lunchbox packing easier.  

There was so much positive feedback from the session last year, Mrs Pusey has worked hard in getting the team back. 

Date: Friday 16th May  
Time: 9am 
Location: Upper Learning Area 

Easter Colouring Competition

It's back again for another year.  We are delighted to announce the return of our Easter Colouring Competition! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their artistic talent and celebrate the joy of Easter. 

How to Participate: 

Templates: Students can participate by colouring in one of the Easter templates on the competition website. 
Submission: Please submit entries to projects@cewa.edu.au 
Prizes: The most creative entries will have the chance to win fabulous prizes. A winner and a runner-up will be selected from all primary levels. 

For more details, please visit the competition website at www.cewa.edu.au/easter. 

We look forward to seeing the wonderful creations of our talented students. Happy colouring and good luck to all participants! 

Easter Egg Raffle - CARITAS

Each year leading into Easter the school holds an Easter Egg Raffle. This is our major fundraiser for the Lenten season and all proceeds are given to Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion Appeal. 

We ask each family to send in a donation of Easter Eggs or Easter Merchandise and these will be bundled up to make many prizes. Please put your donation into the baskets at administration or where students are selling the raffle tickets in the undercover area.  

   This year tickets will be $1 each and will go on sale on Monday 31st March. Cash only sales.  

Tickets will be sold before school in the undercover area from 8.10-8.40am and after school from 3.00-3.20pm. 

The raffle will be drawn on Thursday 10th April and prizes sent home with the children that day. 

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Those students preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be participating in a Retreat on Friday, April 4 and the Parent and Child Workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday April 8 and 9 respectively. Information about the Retreat will be shared by the Year 3 teachers, Miss Conti and Miss Marchesi. 

Please complete the following form to choose which Parent and Child Sacrament of Reconciliation Workshop you will be attending: Form 

Sign of the Week

Learning one Auslan sign a week is a simple but powerful way to increase our awareness and inclusion at St. Kieran. By committing to learning just one sign each week, we break down barriers and build empathy. It reminds us to be more mindful of accessibility and gives us the tools to connect with more people. Over time, these small efforts add up, leading to greater fluency and a more inclusive environment for everyone.

World Autism Month

Keeping Our Kids Safe Online – ySafe Sessions Coming Soon

On Wednesday, May 15, we’re taking a proactive step to help our students navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. Students will be participating in interactive sessions delivered by ySafe, one of Australia’s leading providers of cyber safety education. These sessions are tailored to the needs of young students and are designed to empower them with the knowledge and strategies needed to stay safe online. 

Later that same evening, we will be hosting a parent session delivered by ySafe. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to gain valuable insights into the latest online trends, apps, and potential risks—along with practical tips on how to support your child’s safe use of technology at home. 
We’ll be sending out an attendance form closer to the date, so please keep an eye out and be sure to register your interest. 

Why This Matters 
In a world where devices are in our kids’ hands before they can even tie their shoelaces, learning about internet safety is no longer optional—it’s essential. Children are more connected than ever, and while the online world offers amazing opportunities for learning and fun, it also comes with real risks, including cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, and interactions with strangers. 
At our school, we believe that prevention is the best protection. By educating students early and partnering with families, we can create safe, informed digital citizens who know how to spot red flags and make smart choices online. 
We strongly encourage all parents to attend the evening session—because keeping our kids safe online takes a team effort. 

Before-School Tennis Coaching

Exciting News – Before-School Tennis Coaching at St Kieran Primary School! Year 1 - 6

We are excited to announce that Tennis Excellence will be offering before-school tennis coaching at St Kieran in Term 2 for students in Year 1 - 6

Every Tuesday morning at 7:30AM, Tennis Excellence will be on the courts serving up a fun tennis coaching session all about skill building and providing fantastic opportunities for your child to learn tennis, improve coordination, fitness and make new friends! Tennis Excellence’s experienced coaches will make sure every child feels supported and engaged throughout the session. 

Spaces are limited, so be sure to secure a spot here: School Programs | Tennis Excellence

Looking for some school holiday fun? Tennis Excellence will be running School Holiday Clinics at Alexander Park Tennis Club – see attached flyer for more info!

Enact of The Stations of the Cross for all children

Dear Parents,

The Children’s Liturgy Team at St Kieran’s Parish are planning an enact of the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.  The Liturgy will take place on Friday the 18th of April and it will begin at 10:00am. All children are invited. 

 There will be three practice sessions on Tuesday the 15th, Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th of April from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. Your child will need to meet us in the St. Kieran’s church. If your child participates in this Liturgy and is preparing for the Sacraments this year, the hours will go towards their community service. We would like children from different grades to perform in the play and we would like children from Years 5, 6 and over to help with the readings.

If you would like to participate, you can contact one of us from the St Kieran Parish or turn up on the day to the St Kieran church.  

Barb 0411309266
Ruby 0433636476

Thank you,
Ruby Wijethunga

Free Football West Girls Day Out Promotion

School Holiday Program

We Are Yokine and Yokine Bowling Club Carboot & Handmade Sale 6th April