St Luke's Catholic Primary

As we continue through the season of Lent, it’s important as a Catholic school community we take time to reflect, grow, and prepare our hearts for the hope and renewal that Easter brings. It is a special period in our liturgical year and a beautiful opportunity for our students to engage in prayer, service, and reflection. We have a whole school Mass next Wednesday at 9am.

Although it is only a nine week term, it has certainly been a busy and vibrant one. From the Swimming Carnival to classroom learning and community events, our students continue to shine in many ways. Congratulations to all students who participated in our recent Faction Swimming Carnival. Their sportsmanship and enthusiasm were wonderful to see, and we thank staff and volunteer parents for their support on the day. Many thanks to our PE teacher Emily Rasmussen for her organisation which ensured the carnival ran smoothly. We look forward to the P & F Colour Run on Friday 27th March. We value the support of parents at school events, without you these opportunities for our students may not be possible.

Thank you to all families who attended our Parent/Teacher Interviews on Monday. These conversations are an essential part of supporting your child’s learning, wellbeing, and growth. We greatly value the strong partnerships we share with our families and appreciate that you prioritise attending the interviews.

Our Year 6 students are very much looking forward to their upcoming camp in Week 9. Camp offers wonderful opportunities for leadership, teamwork, independence, and shared memories. A sincere thank you to the staff who give their time, energy, and care to ensure this experience can happen; your commitment to our students is truly appreciated.

Regular school attendance makes a significant difference. Research consistently shows that strong attendance supports better academic progress, social development and wellbeing.

You can support good attendance by:

• Planning family holidays during non‑school periods
• Scheduling appointments later in the day when possible
• Ensuring your child attends school every day unless genuinely unwell
• Establishing a positive, consistent morning routine

Did you know?

• At 90% attendance, a student misses one full year of school over 10 years.
• At 70% attendance, a student misses more than three full years over the same period.

Remember, every day counts.

I will be on Long Service Leave for Weeks 1 and 2 of Term 2. During this time, Kristy Graffin will be the short-term Principal. I look forward to returning in Week 3.

As we prepare to celebrate Easter, I want to acknowledge our families and staff for the many ways you live out our faith each day, through kindness, generosity, and the care you show one another. Easter reminds us of hope, renewal, and God’s love made real in our homes and our community.

May this Easter bring your family peace, joy, and time to connect with those you love. Wishing you all a blessed and happy Easter.

Warm regards,

Kerry Hewitson

Principal

Project Compassion 2026 invites us to 'Unite Against Poverty' by coming together in faith and action. Lent is a time to reflect, pray and give. When we unite as one community, our compassion can reach far beyond our own lives. Together, we can help create a world where everyone has the chance to thrive.

It has been lovely to hear of the little things the children are doing to help support Project Compassion this year. A number of students have mentioned giving up part of their pocket money or doing odd jobs around the house to get coins to put in the Project Compassion box. ​

On the side of the box there is a QR code which links to our school fundraising page. The link is provided below, should you wish to make a cashless donation. ​ ​ https://www.projectcompassion.org.au/fundraiser/stlukescatholicprimaryschool

Please ensure donation boxes are returned to school by Monday 30th March.

St Luke's will be celebrating Harmony Day tomorrow, Friday 20th March. Students are invited to wear an item of clothing that represents their cultural heritage or add a splash of orange to their uniform on the day. This may include an orange hair accessory, socks, t-shirt etc.

We look forward to Year 2 leading us in our Harmony Day Assembly at 8:40am in the Undercover Area.

Our Year 3 & 5 students have now completed their NAPLAN assessments. Over the past two weeks, they have approached each test with determination and a willingness to do their best. A big thank you to our teachers for their guidance and to our families for their support at home. We look forward to celebrating the growth and learning in our students that continues well beyond the tests themselves.

Our recent Education Assistant Conference with Our Lady of Grace was a vibrant day of learning, connection and shared purpose. Staff explored practical strategies to support wellbeing, strengthen numeracy skills, boost engagement and support inclusive classrooms.

It was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate and the insights gained will continue to enrich the support we provide to students every day.

Getting absorbed in a new activity is a great way to boost your wellbeing. When facing challenges, it can really help to take a new perspective or find a new way forward.

You may be interested in the free Action for Happiness app for iOS and Android, for more info click this link: https://actionforhappiness.org/all-calendars

Kristy Graffin & Ben Saulsman

Assistant Principals

At St Luke's, we are committed to promoting safe online practice for everyone in our community. Keep an eye out in each newsletter for some helpful tips, links and infographics you may like to use to support keeping your children cyber safe.

As calendar dates can be subject to change, please always confirm events by checking our online calendar - https://www.stlukeswoodvale.wa.edu.au/community-calendar

Week 7

Friday 20th March

• Harmony Day Assembly (Year 2)- 8:40am
• Fathering Group School Sleepout

Week 8

Wednesday 25th March

• Whole School Mass 9:00am (Year 1-6 Annunciation of the Lord)

Friday 27th March

• Merit Award Assembly 8:40am
• P&F Colour Run

Week 9

Holy Week

Tuesday 31st March-Thursday 2nd April

• Year 6 Camp

Thursday 2nd April

• End of Term 1

Term 2

Week 1

Monday 20th April

• Term 2 Commences

Tuesday 21st & Wednesday 22nd April

• Kindy Speech Screening

Wednesday 22nd April

• Year 6 SHINE Students- Meeting of the Minds

Thursday 23rd April

• Interschool Swimming Carnival
• Whole School Mass (PP-Year 6 Beginning of Term)

Friday 24th April

• Year 5 Whadjuk Gift
• Merit Award Assembly 8:40am

Week 2

Monday 27th April

• ANZAC Day Public Holiday (observed)

Tuesday 28th April

• Kindy Speech Screening

Wednesday 29th April

• Kindy Cross Country 1:30pm

Friday 1st May

• PP-Year 6 Cross Country

We are so immensely proud of our Year 6 students, Luka, Xander, Eddie and Emmett, who made the grand final of the Synergy Solar Car Challenge on Tuesday 17th March at St Marks Anglican Community School.

The Solar Car Challenge is a hands on, fun STEM learning experience. The boys had an opportunity to challenge themselves and to compete against their peers from 45 other schools. The team applied engineering skills and a knowledge of solar energy and photovoltaics. While the cars are simple in design, they need to be built accurately and fast and require team work.

Making the Grand Final and finishing in 4th place is a huge achievement. Congratulations!

Mrs Tania Farcich & Mrs Rosey Martin

SHINE Teachers

Our Kindy students have been exploring the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. A big thank you to Mrs Barlow and Woolworths for donating a wonderful array of fruit for the children to make skewers using some of the fruit from the book. They loved gobbling them up, just like the Very Hungry Caterpillar!

The time has come – our biggest fundraiser of the year!

Be part of setting up the race and join in alongside your children to help make sure they’re covered in paint!

Shift 1 – Set Up: 11:30am to 1:00pm

Shift 2 – Pack Down: 1:00pm to 3:30pm

If you can help, please message Kat on 0458 850 770.

Our Colour Run is the biggest fundraiser of the year, and with the support of our wonderful school community we are aiming to raise $10,000.

Funds raised will help support several important upgrades around the school, including:

• Playground improvements
• New library and classroom reading books
• Replacement of worn whiteboards
• Chess boards and other games for the library

This year we’ve moved away from cheap plastic prizes — the real fun is in the run itself. The overall winning year group will earn Free Time, which is sure to be a favourite reward among students.

Fundraising will be organised by year group rather than individually, so every contribution helps your year level climb the leaderboard.

The Colour Run will be held next Friday, 27 March. If you have not already done so, please register your child here: https://stlukeswoodvalecolourrun.goraiseit.com.au/

Get Ready for Our End-of-Term Raffle – Coming to you from our fantastic Kindy parents!

Tickets available from Tuesday 17th of March to Tuesday 24th of March

Tickets are just $1 each (cash only) and will be available before and after school, outside the library
(Tickets will also be available online via the Flexischools app)

There will be prizes for each year group

The raffle will be drawn on Monday the 30th of March, then delivered to each Classroom on Thursday, the 2nd of April – what a way to end Term One!

Mark your calendars for Friday, 3rd July and get ready for a fun-filled Adults Only Quiz Night, proudly hosted by our P&F!

We’re putting together a small (but fabulous!) sub-committee to help make this night come to life!

Whether you love planning, marketing, decorating, or just want to be part of a fantastic community event, we’d love to have you on board.

We’re also excited to connect with local business owners who can help with hire items or services for the evening.

For more information, please contact:
Sarah – 0430 918 507

These meetings are now held every term in our fantastic library - although we have had our most recent one on the 24th of Feb, the next one will be held on the 12th of May.

These are a great opportunity to stay informed and share any ideas or suggestions you may have.

If you're unable to attend in person, you’re welcome to join online.

The Zoom link and password will be shared on the P&F Facebook page closer to the date.
Feel free to keep your camera off and microphone muted if you’d prefer just to listen in!

Lunch orders are for lunchtime only - Students will still need to bring their own Crunch & Sip and morning tea.

All lunch orders must be placed via the Lunchbox Hub app. Orders close at 8:30am every Thursday.

Please ensure your child’s year group and class details are up to date in the Lunchbox Hub app to avoid any issues.

If your child’s order is incorrect or has been forgotten, they must go directly to the school office and speak with the volunteers before leaving.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We’d love your help!

Just 30 minutes each Thursday (12:30–1:00pm)

Younger siblings are welcome - You might even sneak a peek of your child in class!

Please sign up for any dates that suit you via the link below:

https://signup.com/go/DhchVWq

While my older friends were swimming their hearts out, the Year 1s and 2s were lucky enough to meet author Ms Carole Jay. She read them the first book in a new series “Diggit, the Street Dog” being published later this year. My friends then helped her with ideas for the illustrator on what Diggit should look like. Thanks Ms Jay, we can’t wait to get the series into Library circulation!

Our Library refurbishment is moving along. We look forward to unveiling the new look Library early next term but, for now, my friends are LOVING getting to relax and read on our new cushions.

If you have any good news stories about our students that you would like to share with the community, please send any photos and a short blurb to natalie.vennitti@cewa.edu.au

Families are encouraged to follow St Luke's on social media to keep up to date with the many learning experiences offered to the children and all of the fun happenings around our fabulous school:

• St Luke's Facebook
• St Luke's P&F
• P&F Fathering Group
• St Luke's Instagram- @stlukeswoodvale
• Lulu the St Luke's Dog Instagram- @luluthestlukesdog

Each year level also has a Facebook group for families to join which are managed by our class representatives. These groups are a great way to keep in contact with other families in your child's year level and can be found here.

If you have a child born between 1 July 2023 – 30 June 2024, we are currently accepting enrolments for Kindergarten 2028.

Applications can be found on our school website https://www.stlukeswoodvale.wa.edu.au/copy-of-admissions-and-enrolments

If your child will have an extended absence during the school term, please ensure you fill in the form, found here on the school website, at least two weeks before your scheduled departure date.

A big welcome to all new parishioners and visitors to our

Parish of St Luke, Woodvale.

If you are new to our parish, we invite you to complete the Visitors' Book in the foyer.

Fr Stan would also love to meet you, so please introduce yourself at school or after Mass. You are welcome to visit the pastoral office on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9.30am—2.30pm.

For more information about our wonderful St Luke's Parish and to read the current

Bulletin please click here.

We are urgently looking for volunteers to join this dedicated group of people to help with the Parish Laundry (A3 size bag of laundry, approx. 30 minutes of your time, about 6 times a year). Some of our regular volunteers are no longer able to assist. For further information please contact Veronica on 0477 775 295 or email vlalphonso@gmail.com

Thank you
Nehemiah 3- Many Hands Make Light Work

Children's Liturgy is held each Sunday. All children are welcome to attend as part of the 9:30am Mass.

The Liturgy is conducted in the Church hall for the first 20-30 minutes of Mass. After the sermon, children will rejoin their families.

Father Stan would love to see you there!