Important Dates

NEWSLETTER 4th April 2019

Friday 5 April

• Pre Primary Beach Sport Saturday 6 April

• Fathering Project Sleepout

Tuesday 9 April

• PSSA Swimming (MARC) Wednesday 10 April

• Year 5 Liturgy Friday 12 April

• Year 6 Assembly, 8.45am • Last day, Term 1 • Easter Raffle drawn

Monday 29 April

• Pupil Free Day Tuesday 30 April

• Students start Term Two

W E B . S T D A M I E N S C P S . W A . E D U . A U

Uniform Shop

Wednesday 2.45pm – 3.15pm

Friday

8.15am – 9.00am

St Damien’s Parish Mass Times

Wednesday, 6.00pm

Thursday, 6.00pm

Friday, 12.00noon

Saturday, 6.00pm

Sunday, 8.30am

Talents

Lord, to some people you gave ten talents, to others five, and to others just one. Each of us has different talents. May we use

them for the benefit of all. Each of us has the one talent that is most important – the power to love. With this one talent we

can do so much. Make sure we don’t hide it from anyone. If we love, we will care about others –

all of them. We will be sympathetic to them,

understand them, feel for them. Can we do anything greater in

life? Lord, just for today, help us to fill our lives with love.

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ST DAMIEN’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 2019

Principal’s Report Dear Parents, On Tuesday night the children in Year Three along with a number from other classes, joined together to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. The children were joined by their families, staff members, peers and Prayer Friends in a beautiful celebration presided over by Fr Vincent. My sincerest thanks to Fr Vincent, Fr Con (great to see him again) and to all staff members who worked so diligently to ensure the ceremony had great meaning, relevance and joy. Many thanks also to the families for supporting the students and to the Prayer Friends for standing alongside their classmates during this celebration. Congratulations to the children receiving the sacrament and to all for their support. I also had the pleasure of attending the Year Three Liturgy last week as the children prepared to receive the sacrament. Through this sacrament, all children are taught the spiritual blessings and well-being benefits that seeking forgiveness from friends, parents, themselves and their God inevitably bring. Reconciliation closely aligns to our human, as well as spiritual need to seek, receive and offer forgiveness. In the recent past there has rightfully been much talk about child safety in the media. Catholic Education WA has rigorous measures in place to provide safe environments for all school children, siblings, staff and visitors. At St Damien’s we take these measures seriously and constantly look at ways we can make our school even safer. These measures at St Damien’s include, but are by no means restricted to -

• Student well-being and resilience programs such as Champion Life being taught throughout the school, in order to ensure that students develop preventative skills and self-value practices.

• Coordinated and sequential CEWA/Government approved lessons delivered to students and an adherence to the requirement that staff make evidence of lesson delivery available upon request.

• Allowing children opportunities to build safe and nurturing social networks. • Developing and implementing student friendly complaint and issues procedures. • Technology practices and procedures to allow children to develop a safe ‘online’ presence. • Staff education on child safety programs, practices and procedures. • Avoiding situations that could potentially give children an impression that all adults, in all situations, are safe to be around. • Surveillance cameras in classrooms where one-on-one lessons take place. • Publication and adherence to our school’s Code of Conduct. • Parent information sessions on the Child Safety Framework. • Working closely with the diocese and parish ‘Safeguarding Officer’, Mr Adrian Wells.

The aim of these and all such processes are that we keep all our children safe at school and provide them with the skills and habits that will foster safe practices into the future. Yesterday, the students in Years Three and Five participated in a NAPLAN Online System Readiness Check. The children were asked to log into the NAPLAN Online site and complete a number of items which allowed them to gain an understanding of the kinds of items they may experience during the NAPLAN Online assessment. It also allowed ACARA to test the strength and reliability of their infrastructure and the reliability of the school’s network. I am happy to report that all went well. No grades or marks are allocated to individual students by ACARA as a result of today’s assessment. The actual NAPLAN tests that will take place in May are good indicators of progress and growth but they are by no means comprehensive enough to take the place of the rigorous assessment schedules all teachers follow in order to understand what each child can do, what they are finding challenging and what needs to be done to ensure they have the very best learning opportunities offered to them. Today and tomorrow several staff members will be attending the first two days of a four-day professional learning course, with two more days held later in the year. This course is designed to train a core group within the staff in closely interrogating and analysing student data. This group of teachers will in turn train and mentor other staff members in these practices. This deep examination of data allows teachers to better understand what students are learning so that they can tailor teaching to suit children’s individual needs and provide all students with opportunities to attain the very highest levels of achievement. On Saturday, dads, grandparents, guardians and their children will be camping out on the school oval and enjoying heaps of fun and bonding experiences. I sincerely thank the organisers, the fathers attending and the mums for letting them come out to work. It should be yet another fantastic time. Christ Shines Joe Bartucciotto

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ST DAMIEN’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 2019

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ST DAMIEN’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 2019

These wonderful businesses are generous sponsors of St Damien’s Catholic Primary. You will have seen their ads on our school planner. If you are in need of their services or

products please show them our gratitude through your patronage.

Church Busy Bee Clean Up/Gardening

St Damien’s Parish is having an inside clean up and gardening busy bee on

Saturday 13th April from 8.30am.

If possible please bring along your cleaning gear (rags will be useful), your gardening tools and your muscles.

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ST DAMIEN’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 2019

The BIG CAMP OUT !! CAMP OUT ON THE ST. DAMIEN’S OVAL

3pm Saturday 6th APRIL

FOR: St Damien Kids and their Dad or Male role model (Primary age or below ONLY)

PLEASE: BYO Snacks & Camping Gear (please contact Dave if you need to borrow a tent or if you have a spare to lend)

INCLUDES: Activities and BBQ supper & brekkie

COSTS: $5 per person

RSVP & INFO: Wednesday 3rd April Dave Nicholson 0411 281 685 dnicholson@ecolab.com

for more information on the Fathering Project www.thefatheringproject.org

ST DAMIEN OF MOLOKAI PARISH LENT & EASTER 2019

Date Lent & Easter Time Place

Saturday 13 April Sunday 14 April

PALM SUNDAY 6.00pm 8.30am

St Damien of Molokai Parish Church

Monday 15 April Begin of Holy Week RECONCILIATION

6.00pm St Damien of Molokai Parish Church

Tuesday 16 April Wednesday 17 April

Tuesday of Holy Week Wednesday of Holy Week Fr Vince available for Reconciliation.

5.00pm 5.00pm

St Damien of Molokai Parish Church

Thursday 18 April HOLY THURSDAY Mass of the Lord’s Supper

6.00pm St Damien of Molokai Parish Church

Friday 19 April GOOD FRIDAY STATIONS of the CROSS – On oval PASSION of the LORD Day of fast & Abstinence

10.30am 3.00pm

St Damien’s Catholic Primary School Oval St Damien of Molokai Parish Church

Saturday 20 April HOLY SATURDAY Easter Vigil

6.00pm St Damien of Molokai Parish Church

Sunday 21 April EASTER SUNDAY Resurrection of the Lord

8.30am St Damien of Molokai Parish Church

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ST DAMIEN’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 2019

P&F Update The P&F met last night for the monthly meeting – there’s some really excellent things coming up at the school thanks to the efforts of parents volunteering their time to make these things happen … The Fathering Project Camp Out is this weekend – special thanks to Dave Nicholson and all the dads for going from strength to strength with this one. The Easter Raffle will be drawn at assembly next Friday afternoon – thank you to Kindy and the Year 4s for all of your work in making that happen. The Mothers’ Day Stall will be held next term and we all know how much that’s loved – thank you to Year 2 for organising that for us. And I’m pretty excited to let you know that the Dawesville Ducks swim club is starting up again, thanks to Alicia Sun and Veronique Besson. The club will start next term and be held at Kirby Swim – watch out for more details in the Facebook groups and also a survey where you can let us know your thoughts and preferences. If you’d like to contact the P&F Committee, please email us at stdamienspandf@gmail.com Andrea Kelly P&F President

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ST DAMIEN’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 2019

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ST DAMIEN’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 2019

FREE PARENTING SEMINAR You are invited to attend ONE of the three Triple P Seminar Series – Raising Confident Children. You will learn practical, positive and effective ways to deal with common behavioural problems and ways to help your child achieve their best at school and in the future. The FREE Seminar is held: When: Wednesday 1 May 2019 Location: Lakelands Library RSVP: Bookings are essential and

places are limited. Please visit healthyWA.wa.gov.au/parentgroups

to book your place.

To find other available programs visit our website www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/parentgroups

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ST DAMIEN’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 2019

Music Incursion – Channel Nine Recording Studio Positions still vacant for non-choir students in years 4 5 6 wishing to audition. If you are interested in audtioning please see Mrs Burns for an audition form.

Over the weekend of 20-23 March, Stella Kennedy represented WA at the Australian Wakeboard Nationals in Canberra.

She had so much fun and was happy to hang out with some of the professional wakeboarders who travel

the world, her favourite being Zahra Kell from Sydney.

Stella placed Runner Up Australian champion in the under 9 girls division. A great result in her first National event. She is hoping to head to “Black Diamond Wakeboarding School" in Sydney later this year,

to train with Scotty Kell before the WA season starts in Baldivis. She then plans on competing at the Australian Open Series in January and February next year.

If any children are interested in trying Wakeboarding, you can find more information on the clubs

Facebook page “Westoz Wakeboarding”. New members and families are always welcome, any age and any level of riding.