Around The Primary

Dear Parents

Welcome back everyone! The children have had a really great start to Week One! Children all over the Primary school are settled, engaged and happy, and thoroughly enjoying catching up with friends and teachers.

Many thanks to you all for making sure your family was on time and for helping to support children with a calm, ‘can do’ attitude! It is terrific to see so many parents wearing their badges too – thank you!

Families are reminded that all the Parent Information Sessions are being held on Monday 17 February in the classrooms. The session times are listed below.

Thank you to those parents who have been communicating with us in regard to their holiday travels. Like all schools, we continue to remain vigilant, informed, calm and proactive in supporting an appropriate and effective response to the coronavirus situation. We will continue to reinforce the importance of excellent hygiene practices in regard to hand washing.

A 30 minute ‘Community Mass’ is held in the College Chapel every Friday at 8am. We would love to see more families come along and join the staff throughout the year.  Our next Community Mass will be on Friday 21 February. 

Please be mindful in the carpark as there will be new families who will be learning the ropes and may not yet be familiar with our drive through and parking procedures. Your patience and cooperation is appreciated. For more information please click below.

Reading Homework 

This year our goal is to ignite the students love of reading. In Term One, the important message filtering through every class in the Primary School is to discover the magic of reading.

The students will engage in reading or reading related tasks each night for homework throughout the term.  This is a wonderful opportunity for students to pick up a good book and share it with a family member and to discover reading for pleasure, reading to learn something new, reading to have a laugh or reading simply just to relax! 

We hope all parents will encourage their children to read each day and allocate some family reading time in your busy schedules.

Parents are very welcome to accompany their children to the library before or after school to help them choose books or to spend some special time sharing a story.  Our library team are looking forward to seeing many new faces in the library.

I look forward to seeing many families at the ‘Super Summer Picnic’ on Saturday 15 February.  Please access the following link to book your tickets, sales close 3pm next Wednesday 12 February at 3pm - www.trybooking.com/579989

Kind regards,

Antoinette De Pinto

Head of Primary

Dates to Remember

Please check the College Website to note all the important Primary school events for your family calendar. http://www.johnxxiii.edu.au/view/for-parents/calendars

Sports Update 

It is great to see everyone back and excited for another year of Sport.  The Year 4, 5 and 6 students have started swimming lessons and are looking forward to their beach lessons later next week.

Swimming trials will be taking place for Years 4 to 6 on Friday 14 February.

Swimming Squad training begins for Years 3 to 6 on Tuesday 11 February and will take place in the College pool from 3:30pm to 4:30pm every Tuesday and Thursday until Tuesday 3 March.  Please note:

• It is a squad training session and the expectation is that every child can confidently swim 25 meters without tiring.
• If you are unsure of your child’s ability please bring them along to the first session and I will assess if the squad training will be suitable for them. 
• Swimmers must wear the school rashie, goggles and a swimming cap to squad training.

Steve Williams

Primary Sport Coordinator

Primary Choirs

There have been some exciting changes to the Primary choirs for 2020. Please see the information below regarding the choirs available to students from Years 2 to 6.

PRIMARY SINGERS - Year 2 and Year 3

This junior choir welcomes all students in Years 2 and 3 who love to sing. Students will learn vocal and choral skills while having a lot of fun. Rehearsals take place on Thursday mornings in the MacKillop Room at 8am with Mrs Haydon and Mr Johnston.  The first rehearsal is on Thursday 13 February at 8am.

WANJU VOICES - Year 4 to Year 6

This upper primary choir welcomes all students from Years 4, 5 and 6. This choir will develop vocal and choral skills through a variety of genres and repertoire. Students in this choir are required to 'audition' in order to determine their ‘position’ in the choir, however all students who audition are accepted. Rehearsals take place on Monday mornings in the MacKillop Room from 7:30am to 8:30am with Mrs Haydon and Mr Johnston. Auditions take place on Monday 10 February at 7:30am.

CHAPEL CHOIR - Year 2 to Year 12

The Chapel Choir is the only college ensemble that combines students in both the Primary and Secondary school. All students are welcome to join this choir which rehearses with Mrs Haydon and Mr Johnston on Friday mornings at 7:30am in the Chapel, and then sings at the Community Mass at 8am.

The Chapel Choir is also involved in College Masses and the Holy Week Concert at the end of Term One. The next rehearsal for this choir is Friday 21 February (There is no Community Mass on Friday 14 February). 

If you have any queries regarding the choirs, please contact Mrs Haydon catherine.haydon@cewa.edu.au

Mrs Catherine Haydon

Primary Music Teacher

Sacramental Program 2020

Do you have a child currently in Year 3, 4 or 6? The children will be preparing, in their class Religious Education lessons, for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation. While the students will learn the appropriate content in their Religion lessons, they celebrate the sacraments with their family in their parishes. 

Parents are encouraged to enrol their child, as soon as possible, in their parish – usually, but not necessarily the parish closest to home.  Please check the enrolment dates and procedures for some of our local parishes. 

If you have any further queries please contact Mary-Anne Lumley, Liturgist and Parish Liaison: mary-anne.lumley@cewa.edu.au

Updates from local parishes

Holy Spirit, City Beach

Information about the Sacraments: an evening for parents

Tuesday 18 February, 6:30pm

Information: delattrecn@yahoo.fr or phone Parish Priest, Fr Emmanual-tv Dimobi, 93413131.

Saint Thomas Apostle, Claremont

Sacrament enrolments close: Friday 14 March

Registration forms are available from silvia.kinder@cewa.edu.au

Star of the Sea, Cottesloe

Enrolments next Thursday, 20 February, 3:30-5:00 pm.

Further information: cottesloe@perthcatholic.org.au

Saint Cecilia, Floreat

Further information: Rita Morgan, floreat@perthcatholic.org.au

St Joseph, Subiaco

Applications open soon.

Further information: sacraments@stjosephssubiaco.org.au

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scarborough

Contact: Fr Grant Goddard

08 9341 1124  OR   scarborough@perthcatholic.org.au

Mary-Anne Lumley

Liturgist and Parish Liaison