Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to Term Four!

It has been great to see our students (and staff!) jump back into learning as we approach our final term of 2025! We have a big 9 weeks of school left with lots of exciting events and celebrations headed our way. Be sure to take note of the upcoming events are listed in the newsletter so you are aware of everything coming up.

If your child will not be returning to St Helena's Catholic Primary School in 2026, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing admin@sthelenas.wa.edu.au. We currently have waitlists for most year levels and this information helps us with planning and enrolments.

We are also accepting enrolment applications for Pre-Kindy 2026 and Kindy 2027.

Swimming Lessons

Our Year 3 to 6 students have made a big splash in their swimming lessons. Living in Australia, swimming is such an important skill for keeping safe and also as a social activity. Thank you to our parents and caregivers for ensuring your children have their swimming items each day and our staff for getting the students ready for swimming each day, making sure they embrace every opportunity in the water. Our Year 1 and 2 students are looking forward to their turn in the pool in Weeks 5 & 6. More information will be shared with families in the near future.

Prime Minister's Spelling Bee Competition

Earlier this year, a number of clever spellers from St Helena’s proudly represented our school in the 2025 Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee Competition. Congratulations to three of our students; Louise (3M), Harvey (6E), and Janice (6E) who achieved an outstanding result by reaching the state finals, placing amongst the top 200 spellers in Western Australia!

A big thank you to Mrs O'Meara for supporting and entering our spellers, and well done to all students who took part. What a fantastic achievement!

Grandparent's Day

Tomorrow we invite all grandparents and special elderly adults to St Helena's in recognition for all they do for us. The day will begin with a liturgy prepared by our Year Three classes, before morning tea and lawn games outside the UCA. Thank you in advance to the Kindergarten, Pre-Primary, Year 5 and Year 6 families for bringing in a plate for shared morning tea. All students will take part in the morning tea, even if a grandparent or special elderly adult isn’t attending. I know there are lots of excited students and we’re sure it will be a morning full of joy and special memories!

Interschool Athletics Team

Next week selected students from Year 3 to 6 will participate in the 2025 CPSSA A Division Interschool Athletics Carnival at the WA Athletics Stadium. Mr Mark McCormack has been busy preparing the team for the day with before school training sessions. Best of luck to all competitors and we know they will make our school proud with not only their athletics skills but also their sportsmanship and attitude.

P&F Meeting

All parents and caregivers are warmly invited to attend the upcoming P&F meeting on Monday 27th October at 5:00pm in the library. All parents/caregivers are automatically members of the P&F and new faces are warmly welcomed.

Socktober

Our Year Six Social Justice Student Leaders have been busy preparing for Socktober, a biennial event celebrated by St Helena’s to raise money for Catholic Mission. Next week, students will have a chance to kick a sockball to score goals for kids in need around the world during their class sport time. Sockballs are used in soccer games played by children in slums all over the world and are traditionally made from rags and plastic bags.

Students are also invited to wear a soccer shirt or accessory with their school short/skorts on Tuesday 28 October. This is not compulsory, and does not require a donation.

World Teacher's Day

Next Friday, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day. World Teacher's Day is a special occasion to recognise and thank all our incredible staff for the dedication, care and passion they bring to educating our students each day.

In Australia, World Teachers’ Day is celebrated in late October to align with the school calendar, as the international date in early October often falls during our school holidays.

We invite everyone in our community to join us in saying “Hats off to teachers!” next Friday. A simple thank you, a kind word, or a thoughtful gesture can go a long way in showing appreciation for the amazing work our teachers do.

Mr Santino Giancono will be on leave for the next few weeks. During this time, I will be stepping into the role of Acting Principal, and Mrs Mary Tierney-Dusenberg will be supporting as Acting Assistant Principal. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or Mrs T if you have any questions or need assistance while Mr G is away.

Have a lovely week!

Melissa Myles

Acting Principal

SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
As a community united in faith and trust, St Helena’s Catholic Primary School seeks to provide a nurturing and diverse learning environment where all are inspired to live the ideal of doing Something Beautiful for God.

At St Helena's Catholic Primary School,
we are a Christ-centred and a child-focused community.

"What I can do, you cannot. What you can do, I cannot.

But together we can do something beautiful for God."

Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Swimming Lessons Year 3 to Year 6