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St Kieran Newsletter Term 3, Week 6 - 28th August 2025

Principal's Message

Creator God, bless and affirm our belonging.
May our belonging be a healing balm,
a supportive hand, an encouraging voice.
May we help one another to create the ordinary and the great.
May we respond tenderly to our troubled and uncertain.
May our belonging empower us to reach beyond to welcome and shelter others.
Amen.

The need to belong is a potent human force that finds expression firstly in family, then in personal relationships, school and work relationships, community involvement, national pride, religious allegiance and sporting teams.

We all know that belonging has positive effects on our personal wellbeing, our mental and physical health. Each of us is born on the earth in a particular place. This place always has a special presence and meaning for us.

One of the first things we learnt as children was our name and then where we lived. Often in life we have to answer the question, “And where were you born?” As if in the mind of the questioner, there is an importance attached to where we began our life, where we entered belonging.

Unfortunately, our world tends to define our identity in terms of ownership: possessions, status, power. The essence of who we actually are runs the risk of no longer being owned by us. “Everyone dreams of a nest of belonging in which one is embraced, seen and loved. Something in each of us cries out for belonging. We can have all the world has to offer in terms of status, achievement, possessions, yet without a sense of belonging our lives feel empty and powerless.” – John O’Donohue.

There is something within each of us that no one or no thing in the world is able to meet or satisfy. When we recognise that such an unease is natural it will free us from the never ending pursuit of ever more temporal and partial satisfaction.

As Christians, we believe that within each of us God has reserved a place for Himself and when we give recognition to this, we begin to realise that we belong eternally to God’s family. Children – us included – come here without knowing where they are coming to; they have no power or choice. We parents, like our parents before us, have such incredible power to influence the inner-life of our children, the “place” where their identity is fashioned. Our children’s senses are like sponges, they absorb everything; our voice is like a running tap, giving life to their life.

However, there is no inbuilt filter to sift the creative from the destructive. None of us is perfect and, without meaning to, we all leave traces of negativity in our children. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to more than balance any element of negativity, as one of the deepest longings of the human heart is the desire to be loved for ourselves alone. It is difficult to love yourself if you are not first loved. The “running tap” of our voice, and our caring actions towards our children, are the means available to us to ensure that our children are loved, are aware of “God’s place” within them and know that they truly belong to a loving family.

I hope you have had a great week and if you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Take care and stay safe.

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 3 for students on Friday 26th September.

Contact Details - Parents

It is imperative that parents and families update the school when your personal details change during the year. If you change your email address or mobile phone number please ensure that the school administration is contacted so we can update these details for communication purposes.

3 Year Old Kindy 2026 Enrolments

We are finalising 3 Year Old Kindy Enrolments for 2026, with interviews being conducted for students to start at St Kieran next year. All parents need to submit an application to make sure your child is enrolled for 3 Year Old Kindy at St Kieran Catholic Primary School for 2026.
If you have any questions or would like clarification, please ring or contact the School Administration.

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.

If you have any concerns or questions please reach out to one of the Leadership Team.

Annual Community Meeting

Our Annual Community Meeting will be held on Wednesday 20th November at 5pm in the Upper Learning Area. This will be a combination of the School Advisory and Kieran Connect Meeting's.

The School Advisory Committee operates under the Terms of Reference, and these are listed on our school website. As a School Advisory Council, we continue to look to support our school values and those of CEWA. If you ever have any questions regarding the School Advisory Council please contact Mr Burnett.

Placement of Students in Classes for 2026

Each year, staff use professional judgement to make fair and informed decisions about where they place students for the following year. These decisions are based on many aspects that consider the whole child. Staff consider academic ability, behavioural concerns, socio-emotional considerations, gender, learning needs, as well as friendships evident at school and attempt to even the distribution across both classes when making these decisions.

If you have a significant matter that you wish to discuss with the Principal, please email Mr Burnett directly before Thursday 18th September daine.burnett@cewa.edu.au this date is not extended.

Servite College Enrolments

We strongly encourage all families at St Kieran to ensure they have their enrolment application submitted at Servite College as soon as possible for their children. If families leave this process until the middle years of primary school, you maybe placed on a waiting list. The earlier your application is submitted to Servite College the better. A reminder that Servite and St Kieran are completely different schools with applications for enrolment submitted separately.

Fathers Day Breakfast

Just a reminder that next Friday we will have the Father's Day Breakfast being coordinated by Kieran Connect. Please make sure you have followed all the instructions and have completed the appropriate details.

Traffic Crossing - Crosswalk Attendant

We continue to be without our cross walk attendant. 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.

WA_POLICE_FORCE_NEED_YOU_.pdf

Unwell Students

As we are all aware the cold and flu season seems to begin at the end of summer and go through to the next summer. WA has seen an increase in cases of Influenza A and B, RSV, Covid and Whooping Cough. All easily transmittable especially around school age children. If your child is sick, please keep them off school, seek the appropriate medical advice if required and test for the above illnesses. We also ask that you keep your child home until they are fully recovered. As a school we have seen a rise in children presenting with ongoing illness as they have returned to school too soon. This then poses an infection risk to their classmates and staff alike. As a school community we have both students and staff who are immune compromised and vulnerable.

We really appreciate your consideration for both the school and wider community.

Sarah
School Nurse
Sarah.Pfaff@cewa.edu.au

Students Leaving St Kieran

Can you please let the school know as soon as possible if your child/children are moving on from St Kieran in 2026. We currently have families on our wait lists and would like to accommodate as many people as possible. Please note a terms notice should be given in order to not be charged any subsequent fees. This only applies to students who are leaving St Kieran.

Seesaw

Can all parents make sure you have access to your child's Seesaw. Teachers constantly post assessment results and pieces during the term. This is a great way to keep you updated on the progress of your child.

Sacrament of Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation is a vital step in a young person's faith journey, deepening their relationship with God and affirming their commitment to the teachings of the Church. Through Confirmation, students receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, empowering them to live out their faith with courage, wisdom, and love. It is a joyful celebration of growth, responsibility, and belonging within the Catholic community.

Sacrament of Confirmation Enrolment Form:
Please fill in this form to enrol your child into the Sacrament. ConfirmationEnrolment Form
Payments are made to St Kieran Parish electronically. It may be helpful to have a second web browser window open at the same time as the  Confirmation Enrolment Form. 

Please note that this form must be completed before Monday, October 13.

Here is some important information for your child's Confirmation. 

Catch up - Sacrament of Confirmation Commitment Masses Sat 9 August 6:30pm. If you miss this Mass, please contact Fr Wilson to arrange another time.
Retreat Day Friday Oct 24 at St Kieran Catholic Primary School/ St Catherine's House of Hospitality
Parent and Child Workshops Tues Oct 14 4:00pm or 5:15pm/ Thursday Oct 16 4:00pm at St Kieran Catholic Primary School. Your child will need to bring their pencil case with them. 

Sacrament of Reconciliation before the Sacrament of Confirmation:
Reconciliation will not occur during school time for Confirmation candidates. Reconciliation will be held at St Kieran Parish on Thursday 6/11/2025 at 4:00 PM

Sacrament of Confirmation Masses Sat October 25 and Sun October 26 
MSP Photographers will be available in the Parish Hall on the days of the Sacrament, one hour before each Mass begins. Enter via the door on Cape Street. The photographer will also take photos during the Sacrament, so we ask families not to take photos during Mass.

Students will be asked to sit on the end of a pew, down the centre aisle and the aisle to the side. They will not be allocated a specific seat. Each Mass will have between 32-35 students receiving the Sacrament. This means the church will be very full and there will be limited space for additional family and friends. Please keep this in mind when inviting guests. You may wish to invite guests to attend your own family celebration after the Sacrament.

Celebrating the Opening of the St Joseph Chapel at St Kieran Parish

Fr Wilson warmly invites the St Kieran Catholic Primary School community to the opening and blessing of the new Chapel of St Joseph at the St Kieran Parish. This will occur during the first Sunday of September, the 7th, during the 9:00am Mass.

NumBots & Times Tables Rock Stars!

We’re excited to let you know about two fantastic apps that your child can use at home to support their maths learning: NumBots and Times Tables Rock Stars!

NumBots is designed to help young children develop a strong understanding of number bonds, addition, and subtraction through engaging games and challenges. Regular short sessions (just 5–10 minutes a day) can make a big difference in building your child’s fluency and understanding.

Times Tables Rock Stars helps children master their multiplication and division facts in a fun, competitive way. Whether they're playing in a single-player mode or challenging classmates in a ‘Rock Battle’, they’ll be improving speed and accuracy with every game.

🏠 How to Use at Home:

Both apps are on your child’s school iPad or they are available on tablets, phones, and computers to download for free
Logins have been provided to all the children by their class teacher– if you need help accessing your child’s account, please contact their class teacher.
Just a few minutes of practice each day can have a big impact!

By using these apps at home, you’ll be giving your child a great opportunity to reinforce what they’ve learned in class – and have fun doing it!

Thank you for your continued support in helping our students grow in confidence and ability in maths.

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.