From the Principal's Desk...
Dear Parents and Caregivers
Welcome to the 2026 school year to all our St Helena’s Catholic Primary School families. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, and hope that the holidays have been wonderful! To the families that have joined our school community for the first time, I offer you a very special welcome and thank you for choosing St Helena’s for your child’s education. It is an exciting time as we welcome new Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students, as well as several new students and families across other year levels. We are also very excited to welcome our new staff to St Helena's, joining our wonderful team. Our 2026 staffing can be accessed in the Staffing section of the newsletter.
We look forward to once again offering a variety of opportunities and experiences for all our students to make discoveries in their learning in 2026 at St Helena’s Catholic Primary School and to do Something Beautiful for God along the way.
Students Commence
The first day for our Pre-Primary to Year 6 students will be Monday 2 February.
Our Little Adventurers commence on Wednesday 4 February.
Kindergarten students will commence as per the correspondence given at Kindergarten Orientation.
Parent Information Handbook
The Parent Information Handbooks are available on our school website.
2026 Parent Information for our Pre-Primary to Year 6 Students and Families.
Kindergarten 2026 Parent Information
Pre-Kindergarten 2026 Parent Information
1:1 iPad Program - Year 4 to Year 6 Parent Information
Please take the time to familiarise yourselves with the information contained in these handbooks on our website - click here.
Code of Conduct
Please revisit/visit St Helena’s Code of Conduct, which applies to all staff, parents/caregivers and visitors. Our Code of Conduct describes minimum standards of conduct in all behaviour and decision-making to ensure the safety and well-being of students at St Helena’s Catholic Primary School. Please also take the time to go over the Student Code of Conduct with your child/ren to remind them of our school expectations so that everyone feels respected, safe, engaged, cared for, happy and resilient.
School Uniform
We appreciate the support of parents/caregivers and students to ensure uniforms and personal presentation meet the high standard we set at the School. Please see that your child’s uniform has been checked to ensure compliance with School standards before the commencement of the school year, and haircuts are also to the expectations per our guidelines. Please click here and take the time to have a read of the School’s Uniform Guidelines.
Stationery & Booklists
I am confident our parents and caregivers continue to appreciate having all stationery products and texts included in the School Fees Schedule and that the staff coordinate purchases. Thanks to all our staff who diligently coordinated purchases and allocation of the resources at the end of last year and the start of this year.
School Fees
Parents and Caregivers are asked to familiarise themselves with the School Fees information in the School Notices section of this eNewsletter. Prompt return of paperwork when school fees are distributed is much appreciated. If there are any concerns with payment schedules, etc. in relation to school fees, please do not hesitate to make an appointment to meet with me to discuss payment plans/options.
Communication
We continue to strive to streamline our communication with our parents/caregivers and the broader School community. We will again utilise our eNewsletter in 2026. A reminder that the eNewsletter can be read in different languages with the Language Button at the bottom of the page, which can be changed.
We will also be utilising email and text to communicate with our parents and caregivers. Please also ensure that you are kept up-to-date with what is happening at St Helena’s via our electronic calendar that can be accessed on our website – click here. We will advise of any changes as they arise throughout the year. Please note that the copy on the website will be live, and changes will be made when required.
Teachers will continue to share student work and classroom happenings via SeeSaw, and the older students will look at using Microsoft Teams and other Apps. A reminder about our communication protocols at St Helena’s Catholic Primary School - click here.
Student Wellbeing
Mental health is a part of life that is increasingly better understood, with a growing awareness that talking about our mental health and wellbeing is important, and promoting good mental health should happen from the earliest years of life. St Helena’s Catholic Primary School, together with all Catholic Education Western Australia schools are committed to being environments where healthy and respectful relationships can thrive, where students can engage in meaningful learning, and develop resilience and wellbeing.
We are also committed to working in close partnership with parents and caregivers, who are always the first educators of their children and a vital part of healthy school communities. Check out a Toolkit created by the Catholic School Parents Australia to assist parents engaging with children’s learning – click on the link: https://cspa.schoolzineplus.com/for-parents-primary
School Attendance
A clear prerequisite for school success is student attendance. There are times throughout the year when illness and appointments require absence from school; however, every student needs to be in attendance at school each day, making the most of their lessons and learning journey opportunities. There is a very strong correlation between school attendance and improved student outcomes. Thank you for your assistance in maintaining a high standard in this area. Please ensure family holidays are booked to align with the school holidays. Be mindful that birthdays are not seen as a valid reason for non-attendance either.
Procedures and Expectations for Car Park Usage and School Grounds
As we commence the new year, please take the time to click here and familiarise yourselves with the procedures and expectations for car park usage. Thanks in anticipation for the safety of all our School community.
A reminder too, that bikes and scooters must be dismounted when entering the school premises and walked through the school grounds by all users.
Parents/Caregivers and visitors are also asked to refrain from bringing pets onto the school grounds for the safety and comfort of all in the school community.
eRideables in Schools from 2026
Our School is committed to ensuring that our students are empowered to travel to and from school safely. We recognise that eRideable devices such as eScooters and eBikes are a popular mode of transport accessible to many in our School community. Equally, our School recognises that eRideables are subject to legislation that prohibit a child under the age of 16 from utilising these devices.
Therefore, from Monday 2 February 2026, students who are under 16 years of age will not be permitted to use or store an eRideable device on school premises. Examples of eRideables include but are not limited to:
eScooters
eSkateboards
hoverboards
eSkates
eUnicycles
The Road Safety Commission has developed a webpage with information about the Road Traffic Code (legislation) which can assist individuals in understanding their personal obligations where eRideables are concerned. For more information about eRideables please click here. We thank you in advance for your support of this initiative which will ensure the ongoing safety of our students and broader school community.
Parent Information Sessions
Further information regarding Parent Information Sessions at St Helena’s will be shared in Week 1. The Information sessions will be run on the evening of Tuesday 10 February.
Welcome BBQ
Save the date - Friday 6 March.
Our P&F Committee are planning our Welcome BBQ. We hope that you will be able to make it and get to meet new and old friends as we start the new year.
We are really excited for 2026 at St Helena’s Catholic Primary School and are looking forward to welcoming all of our students and families as they commence their 2026 learning journey at St Helena’s next week. See you soon!
Peace & Happy Days!
Santino Giancono
Principal
