NAIDOC Week
This week our school community has been celebrating NAIDOC Week. The theme for the NAIDOC Week in 2023 is, ‘For Our Elders’.
‘Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families.’
The week started on Monday with a ‘Smoking Ceremony’ and Liturgy, celebrated by the whole school. Our students have been participating in some events and activities throughout the week, to recognise and celebrate NAIDOC Week. These activities have included students touring the local community looking at native fauna, local sites and hearing Aboriginal stories, celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal people.
PSSA Winter Sports Carnival
Last Friday the senior students participated in the PSSA Winter Sport Lightning Carnival. This was an all-day event, with football, netball, hockey, volleyball and soccer being played throughout the day. St Damien’s School were very competitive during the day and more importantly, all competing students tried their very best and enjoyed the day.
Results for the day were as follows:
· Soccer: 6th
· Hockey: 6th
· Football: 2nd
· Netball A: 4th
· Netball B: 5th
· Volleyball: 9th
Parent Teacher Meetings
Parent-Teacher interviews have been scheduled for Thursday 27 July, beginning at 12:00pm. Parents can book in their respective interview times now, using the following link:
Parent-Teacher Interviews Booking Link
The Parent-Teacher interviews are a great opportunity for parents to get an understanding of how their child/children are progressing at school and to discuss potential learning goals set for the remainder of the year.
Please note, school will close early on this date, at 11:45am. Any students who are unable to be collected at the early close time will be supervised by staff up to 3:00pm, in the school hall.
Please contact the office if you are experiencing any difficulties when booking for the upcoming Parent-Teacher interviews.
Mid-Year School Reports
Yesterday, parents received their child’s school report, via SEQTA. I encourage all parents to take the time to read through the school report with their child/children, as it is a reflection of the valuable learning that has taken place over the semester.
It is important to note that it is a ‘Mid-Year Report’, showing the growth and achievement of each student at this ‘point-in-time’. It does also mean that there is another semester ahead where students can continue to develop and meet their goals.
Please, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress, as reflected in the school report, please contact your child’s classroom teacher early next term to discuss further.
Overall, I am pleased with the efforts made and the learning achieved throughout the school. I also acknowledge the effort the staff have put into preparing the school reports, ensuring they are a valid document which highlight the learning progression of the students.
Congratulations, Florida!
Well done to Florida for winning last week’s Inter House Cross Country Carnival. The end results for each House were very close, with not a lot separating the 4 teams. The overall results were as follows:
· 1st – Florida (294 points)
· 2nd – Melros 289 (points)
· 3rd – Wannanup (276 points)
· 4th – Bouvard (265 points)
School Disco
The School P&F committee are to be thanked and congratulated for hosting a fantastic School Disco event last Friday, for all students to enjoy. The attending students had a great time singing and dancing along to all their favourite songs and participating in some games during the disco. A special thank you also goes to all of the parents and staff who were able to assist with the Disco, volunteering their time to help make it such a fun and successful event.
Staffing Update
Next term we have a number of staff on leave. Signora Bava will be away the whole term, being replaced by Mrs Lindi Bezuidenhout. Miss Sanders is away for the term, being replaced by Mr Damien Forester. Mrs Budgen is away for the first 4 weeks of the term, being replaced by Mrs Brooke Dunning. We wish the staff taking leave the best and hope they enjoy their time away and return safely back to school. Mrs Hart will be away for the for the first week of term.
SEQTA
After experiencing problems with SEQTA in recent weeks, it seems the platform has been corrected. Please contact the office if you are still unable to reinstate the SEQTA App and/or login, as the office staff will be able to guide you through this process.
School Calendar
Parents are encouraged to visit the school’s term planner on a regular basis to ensure you are informed about upcoming events during the year. The term planner can be accessed by clicking on the following link: School Events Calendar
Friday Morning Assembly
This Friday 30 June, we have a whole school assembly in the hall, beginning at 8:45am. During the assembly, the Pre Primary class will be presenting an item as well as St Damien’s and Principal Awards being presented to the deserved students for their efforts and hard work over the term. All parents are welcome to join us for the assembly.
Principal Awards
Over the past week some students have been sent to my office to receive a Principal’s Award for completing some exceptional work. I congratulate Tyler Hodsoll from Year 1 Gold and Lacey Draper from Year 4 Blue, for their fantastic effort. Well done and keep up the great work!
End of Term 2
The past term has been a very busy one with a lot of important events and activities, as well as a lot of hard work in the classroom, taking place. I certainly want to express my gratitude and congratulations to all members of the school community for what has been a very successful Semester 1. Students have continued to grow and learn and the community has worked hard to stay connected and share in the joy of the lives of the students at St Damien’s.
I hope you all have an enjoyable and well-deserved holiday break and I look forward to continuing the journey next term, refreshed and re-energised, and ready to tackle the wonderful opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
God Bless,
Daniel Gooch
Principal
