St Kieran Newsletter Term 3, Week 7 - 4th September 2025

Principal's Message

God, our Father, 
You see Your children growing up 
in an uncertain and confusing world. 
Help us to preserve their integrity 
by showing them that Your ways give 
more life than the ways of the world and 
that following You is better than chasing 
after selfish goals. 
May Your ways be obvious to them 
in the manner in which we live our lives. 
Amen. 

Here’s a story about the Baker and the Farmer: A Baker in a little country town bought the butter he used from a nearby Farmer.  

One day he suspected that the bricks of butter were not full pounds, and for several days he weighed them. He was right. They were short weight, and he had the Farmer arrested.  

At the trial the judge said to the Farmer, “I presume you have scales?” “No, Your Honour.” “Then how do you manage to weigh the butter you sell?” inquired the judge. The Farmer replied, “That’s easily explained, Your Honour. I have balances and for a weight I use a one-pound loaf of bread I buy from the Baker.” – Author Unknown. 

Seems like a case of the kettle calling the pot black, but in reality it’s a case of integrity being compromised by both the Baker and the Farmer. Integrity has been described in a number of ways: It is the compass within each of us; it points us in the direction we need to follow. It is to do the right thing, rather than the popular thing. It is to do with the right thing for the right reason, regardless of who is or isn’t watching. The Baker and the Farmer fell short when measured against the third description. 

Unfortunately, our society can run low on integrity when people in power misuse their position of trust, when sportspeople cheat on their fellow competitors, people say the wrong things when you are not in the room, when people in authority take bribes and allow unlawful acts to occur. As usual, the mainstay of our society is the family and so the family must be the unit in which integrity is taught, nurtured and exemplified. A person by the name of Jackson Brown had this pertinent piece of advice to offer us parents when he said: 

“Live so that when your children think of fairness, care and integrity, they think of you.” 

Anytime we are interacting with our children we are teaching them something. Even when we fail in some aspect of endeavour, we still teach our children through the manner in which we accept our failure and deal with it. No matter what we say, our children know what we mean. 

Perfect parents do not exist. All parents do get annoyed, frustrated and angry. It is better to express genuine feelings even when they are negative. Children do not expect perfect parents but they do expect parents to be honest about their feelings. Likewise, children don’t want us to pretend to know things we don’t; they do expect us to keep our commitments to them; they do expect us to keep a confidence they entrust to us. 

Generally, our society tends to reprimand those who confess to wrongdoing. Punishment is an area where parents have to tread with caution for, if we are not careful, we can teach our children to lie and mislead us as they try to protect themselves from punishment; in doing this they do damage to their own integrity. If they do - it can be a great teaching tool. 

If we hold integrity to be more important than strict “law and order” then this will allow for less anxiety over rules and consequences and more room for spontaneous joy and love in our family. I have always been a massive fan of integrity and all the little lessons that go with it, we can always come back to it as a value for doing the right thing. 

On a completely different take now - the Burnett Family had a little hiccup on Friday with sport, where one of our children who is 16 broke their hand/wrist playing football at a school carnival. Everyone was great and after picked them up we headed off to Perth Children's Hospital only to find out that PCH doesn’t admit children once they turn 16. This was news to us and the also to the probably 50 odd we have spoken to since. Once a child has turned 16 they must go to an adult hospital for treatment unless they are still being treated for a previous illness. We obviously learnt the hard way but it is a lesson I hope you font have to learn - so keep this one in the back of your mind just in case you need it. 

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.  

Staff News

Mrs Sally Hart will be taking Long Service leave for the remainder of Term 3. Please direct any questions during this time to Mr Davis, Mrs Doepel or Mr Burnett. 

Contact Details - Parents

It is imperative that parents and families update the school when your personal details change during the year. If you change you email address or mobile phone 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.

Christmas Concert

SAVE THE DATE! Carols in the Quad will be held on Thursday 4th December at 6:30pm.

Fathers Camping Trip Weekend 2025! 

We have booked all campsites at Yanchep National Park from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th October and we have space available for more Dads and kids. 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. Arrive Friday Arvo - Evening Arvo or evening with Saturday team games and high ropes course followed by a group dinner. Sunday caves/hike/beach. Pub Lunch for the Dads and kids! 

If you would like to join us, please email me at dtraynor78@hotmail.com or message me on 0437 800 948. 

Fathers Day Breakfast

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

Library News

Dads and Father Figures, pop into the library tomorrow morning after you have enjoyed Father's Day breakfast and a chat, to read a book or play a board game with your children.

 Please note that no food or drink is permitted in the library. 

Traffic Crossing - Crosswalk Attendant

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

Unwell Students

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

Boost Your Child’s Maths Skills at Home with 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.

Sports Carnival - Coffee Van

Sports Carnival Accessories Packs

Sports Carnival Accessory packs are back for all students!
Be sure to place your order.
Any questions email Pia - misspia75@yahoo.com.au
Don’t miss out!

https://ordering.cdfpay.flexischools.com.au

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 7th, during the 9:00am Mass. 

Tennis Excellence - Term 4 School Tennis Enrolments Now Open !

Tennis Excellence are running school holiday clinics! Enrol your child today at www.tennisexcellence.com.au/holiday

Youth Ballet WA (YBWA) Auditions

Youth Ballet WA (YBWA) is excited to announce auditions for their 2026 intake on Friday, 19th September, from 4:30pm to 6:00pm at their studios in Burswood for students aged 8-12 years. To sign up, contact their team at admin@youthballetwa.org.au or scan the QR code below.

WA Cricket Pop-Up Sessions