Education Assistants Recognition Week
This week we have taken the opportunity to pause and recognise all of the wonderful work our Education Assistants do in and around the school. We are truly blessed to have such a dedicated and caring team of EA’s who always go above and beyond to support and assist for the students in their care. As part of Education Assistant Week, I speak on behalf of the whole community to thank our EA’s for making this such the special place it is.
Our EA’s did receive a couple of treats throughout the week in recognition of their wonderful work. Thank you to Mrs Bright and the staff ‘Wellbeing Team’ for providing a special treat and a pamper-pack earlier in the week and also thank you to the P&F for gifting all of our EA’s with a beautifully wrapped treat for our EA’s today.
Father's Day
This Sunday is Father’s Day and we wish all of the dads and grandads in the school a very Happy Father’s Day. We hope you have a great day and are able to spend some special time with your loved ones and get to know how much we really appreciate the significant roles the dads play in the lives of the students at St Damien’s School. Have a great day!
During the week we have been very fortunate to have the P&F set up the ‘Father’s Day Stall’, where all students throughout the school have been able to purchase a special gift for this Sunday. The Father’s Day stall will be opened again on Friday morning, in the Kindy area, for the 3YO Kindy classes and students who were absent on Wednesday to buy something special for their dads.
We sincerely thank the P&F for organising this and we look forward to announcing which families have been lucky enough to win the Father’s Day raffle prizes, which will be drawn on Friday. We also thank the Dawesville Coles store for their generous donation of bags for the students to take their gifts away in.
NSI School Climate Survey
Thank you to all of the parents who have taken the time to complete the NSI School survey; your efforts are greatly appreciated. However, there is still time for more parents to complete the survey. This is a very important aspect of seeking feedback from the parent community, which will assist us in continuing to build on and make decision to further enhance the already wonderful school community we are in. The survey can be accessed by the links below:
And enter the password ‘SDPACS’ in the ‘Start Questionnaire’ field.
Athletics Carnival
Last Friday all students in the school from Pre Primary to Year 6 had a fantastic day competing in the School Athletics Carnival. With beautiful weather for the day, all students were able to enjoy participating in both the track and team games events. All students are to be congratulated for their efforts and for trying their very best for their House Faction.
Congratulations goes to Melrose, for winning both the ‘Field Events’ competition and the ‘Overall’ points score for the carnival.
The carnival was very well planned and coordinated by Miss Sanders and we thank her for her fantastic effort in making the Athletics carnival the success it was. Also, a thank you goes to all the staff, parent volunteers and the school canteen staff and P&F for all that they contributed on the day; all of your efforts attributed to the success of the day.
Cyber Safety Sessions
Last night, the school hosted a Cyber Safety session for Parents. The session was facilitated by guest speaker, Kayelene Kerr from ‘eSafe Kids, who discussed the use, trends and dangers of the internet by our children. She also provided some fantastic strategies for parents on how to monitor and support their child’s use of the internet and how to promote their safety in the digital world. I thank all of the parents who took the time to attend the session; I hope you found the content and suggested strategies practical and useful.
During the day, Students in Years 4 to 6 also engaged in workshops on Ms Kerr, and discussed the safe use of the internet and safe online practices in their daily lives.
I thank Ms Kerr for presenting her workshops to the parents and students at St Damien’s and also thank Mr Hazebroek for organising and coordinating these worthwhile events.
Confirmation Mass
Last Sunday our students in Year 6 celebrated Mass, where they received the Sacrament of Confirmation. It was a very special celebration and all Confirmation candidates are to be congratulated for receiving this this very important Sacrament and taking another significant step in their journey of faith.
The Confirmation candidates were very supported by their families and sponsors and I thank them all for efforts in making this a very special occasion for the candidates. Fr Tony presided the Mass and was supported by Fr Vincent and we thank them both for this. I would also like to thank all of the school staff who attended and assisted with the Mass and the school choir who sang so beautifully throughout the celebration. A special thank you goes to Mr Hazebroek for planning and organising the Confirmation Mass and the classroom teachers, Mrs Lampard and Miss Harman, for their efforts in preparing the students to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Holy Communion Preparation Mass
Next Tuesday 6 September, beginning at 5:00pm, our Year 4 First Holy Communion candidates will be celebrating a preparation Mass, in readiness to receive the Sacrament on Sunday 18 September. We wish these students the very best as they prepare to receive this very special sacrament.
R U OK Day
Next Thursday 8 September is ‘R U OK Day’. All students are invited to free wear something yellow as a free dress day to celebrate the day.
All parents are invited to join us for a morning tea in the Kindy play area after school drop off, to share a cuppa and light snack to celebrate ‘R U OK Day’ in the school. Thank you to the P&F for organising this event.
Year 4 'Taster Day'
Last Thursday our Year 4 students attended a ‘Taster Day’ at Mandurah Catholic College. The day provided the students with the opportunity to get an insight to what Secondary School has to offer and to engage in some fun learning activities. We hope our Year 4’s enjoyed the experience.
Friday Morning Assembly
There is a whole school assembly next Friday 9 September, beginning at 8:45am, with the Year 5 class presenting an item. Parents and friends of the school community are welcome to come and join us for the assembly.
Principal Awards
This week some students have been sent to my office to receive a Principal’s Award for completing some exceptional work. I congratulate Eva Fucile, Zara Blair, Jai Edwards, Jordy Baker, Caelan Foley and Evelyn Savill, from Kindy Blue, for their outstanding work in Literacy, and Alice Mather and Arlo Caine, from Year 5 Gold, for their fantastic work in Mathematics. Well done and keep up the great work!
God Bless,
Daniel Gooch
Principal
