Dear Parents and Caregivers,
END OF TERM
As we wrap up an 11-week term, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible effort across our school community. Thank you to our staff for the energy, care and consistency you bring every day, your work has made a real difference for our students. A big thank you as well to our parents for your ongoing support and for working alongside us so positively throughout the term. It really does make a difference when school and home are working together.
The best part of the term has been seeing our students so confident, happy, and engaged in their learning. There’s a real sense of pride and momentum across the school, and it’s been wonderful to see. Even our chickens have settled into their new homes nicely and are clearly enjoying the attention!
As we head into the July holidays, I hope everyone finds some time to rest and recharge. I’ll be trying out Busselton in July (thank goodness for a heated pool to keep the Potts boys entertained), with hopefully plenty of coffee, good food and books to be read. We look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday 21 July for another great term ahead.
STAFFING UPDATE – WELLBEING LEAD
Over recent years, we have experienced ongoing difficulty in maintaining continuity in the Social Worker role, with a new social worker appointed each year. Despite extensive advertising, including two recruitment rounds this year, we have been unable to secure a suitable applicant for the current position. Following consultation with CEWA, we will introduce a revised model that better aligns with the needs of our school community.
In this model, Belinda Quartermaine will expand her current role as Student Support Coordinator to become a Wellbeing Lead. This position will oversee student wellbeing and support across the school, while continuing to work directly with students and families requiring additional support. As always, if you have any concerns, the first point of contact is your child’s classroom teacher, who will liaise with Belinda as required.
Belinda has recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Wellbeing and Pastoral Care at the University of Notre Dame. Her work supporting students with additional needs is highly regarded, particularly in the relationships she builds with students and families, as well as the guidance she provides to teaching staff. She is also highly skilled in Child Safety, Gatekeeper Training, UR Strong Program, the Berry Street Education Model, and Kimochis. In addition, she has worked extensively with the CEWA Students with Disability Team, CEWA School Appointed Psychologists, and the CEWA Wellbeing Team. Her experience, expertise, and demonstrated capacity place her in a strong position to lead this model successfully.
To complement this change, we will be trialling the addition of some Education Assistant time to support intervention programs and targeted student support initiatives across the week, under the guidance of the Wellbeing Lead. These will include supports for resilience, social skills, emotional regulation and friendship skills.
We believe this early intervention model will provide several important benefits. It will enable greater continuity and consistency of care for students and families, while also strengthening coordination and oversight of student wellbeing across the school. It will increase our capacity to support teachers with classroom-based interventions and improve our responsiveness to complex family needs. Importantly, it also provides a more sustainable staffing approach in light of ongoing recruitment challenges.
Importantly, this wellbeing model will enhance the level of support we are able to provide to students, families, and staff, while ensuring resources are used in a strategic and sustainable way.
MIDDLE LEADERS RUNNING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SESSIONS
Our talented Middle Leaders, Miss McKenzie and Mrs Maiden, recently led our staff in a professional learning session focused on Early Childhood education and Sustainability. Together, we explored the many sustainable practices already embedded at St Denis and discussed ways to further enrich our students' learning through inquiry-based experiences using recycled and repurposed materials. The session sparked rich conversations about creativity, environmental stewardship, and providing authentic, hands-on learning opportunities for our students.
Inspired by the possibilities, several teachers even headed straight to Remida to source recycled materials for upcoming classroom projects.
This work beautifully connects with Pope Francis' message in Laudato Si', where he reminds us that we all have a responsibility to care for our common home. By encouraging children to be creative, resourceful, and mindful of the environment, we are helping to nurture young people who understand the importance of caring for God's creation and making a positive difference in the world.
THANK YOU MR FRANCHINA
A special shout out to Mr Franchina for all of his hard work in reintroducing the chickens to St Denis and for the incredible care he gives to our feathered friends. Did you know that Mr Franchina gives up his lunchtime to help students connect with the chickens and to check in on our girls each day? Even more amazingly, he also visits the school on weekends to make sure they are safe, happy, and well fed!
The chickens have quickly become a much-loved part of our school community, providing wonderful opportunities for students to learn about responsibility, care for creation, and sustainability.
Thank you, Mr Franchina, for your dedication and for ensuring our school chooks are so well looked after. We truly appreciate all that you do! Read below to find out more about how they are tracking!
P&F RAFFLE SUCCESS
A huge thank you to our wonderful P&F Executive for organising this year's raffle. Thanks to the incredible support of our school community, we sold an amazing 304 tickets! The raffle was a tremendous success, and the funds raised will go towards enhancing our digital resources across the school, providing valuable learning opportunities for our students. We sincerely appreciate the time, effort, and dedication of our P&F Executive and everyone who purchased tickets and supported this initiative. Your generosity continues to make a positive difference to our school community.
Have a lovely break to all our St Denis Families.
Sarah Potts
PRINCIPAL
