Padbury CPS Newsletter

Be welcoming, friendly and inclusive in all you say and do

A copy of our Bushfire Plan can be found here on our website - https://www.padcath.wa.edu.au/formsandprocedures

Please check the PCPS community calendar for upcoming and future dates as the calendar is regularly updated https://www.padcath.wa.edu.au/community-calendar

PUPIL FREE DAYS 2026

Friday 28 August

Monday 12 October

After being at this wonderful school for a few weeks now, it has been a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. I have spent a considerable amount of time in the classrooms and out on duty getting to know the children and supporting them in their learning journeys. Our children love learning, are very social and enjoy working collaboratively, learning within group situations. I hope to continue to foster this love of learning as a tool for all future endeavours. ‘Great trees grow from small seeds planted.’ I have also been fortunate enough to attend some special class liturgies and seen how the children love prayer and use this prayer as a communication with God.

Some of our staff will be accessing their long service leave throughout the term. A separate letter will be sent home to any of the classes affected in due course

Our community also received the communication that Mrs Maragaret Williamson, your long-standing principal, who will be retuning in Term IV this year has decided that this will be the last year of her appointment. Margaret, apart from being an outstanding person, has been a very dedicated and effective principal. She has brought in many new and innovative ideas in her time and fostered a very warm and caring relationship with the community but especially the children. She will be greatly missed. The school will be organising a farewell for Margaret during Term IV, so stay tuned.

It is my goal to ensure that our school continues to run effectively and support the children in our care. We have a magnificent staff, and it is ‘business as usual’ ensuring that all of the planned events and learning continues to be a focus for us all.

Next Friday 28th August, we have assigned as a Pupil Free Day. On this day, the whole staff will be involved in professional learning with staff from Catholic Education Western Australia facilitating. We appreciate your support and prayers for the staff as they continuously strive to improve themselves and their skill set. What an amazing group of people.

We wish all of the students and staff attending One Big Voice tomorrow an enjoyable experience joining all of the other schools in one huge choir. They have been working very hard learning the songs with Mrs Twine and thank all of the staff for their encouragement in this event.

The Sacrament of Eucharist will take place in Our Lady of the Mission Parish Church next weekend. I was so impressed with the candidates’ work in preparation for the reception of the Sacrament. It is always wonderful to see that when the Sacrament is celebrated within our parish church family, that the Family of God, envelop themselves around the candidates and their families. The preparation for this Sacrament has taken place at various times throughout this term. Each step has logically followed the planning document prepared by the Sacramental Committee which has comprised community members from Padbury Catholic Primary School, (Mrs Holness, Mr Randazzo, Mrs Bonny) the Parish Catechetis’ Team and Father Cyp and Father Cornelius. Well done to all involved.

Clicking on the link below will take you to the CEWA / Padbury Catholic Primary School Parent Code of Conduct which everyone must abide by.

Please take the time to read it.

Each year, since 1945, the Children’s Book Council of Australia has brought children and books together across Australia during Book Week. During this time, schools and libraries spend one week, in particular, celebrating books and Australian children’s authors and illustrators. To celebrate Book Week this year, we will be holding our annual book week dress up parade on Wednesday 26th August, straight after morning drop off. The theme for 2026 is “Symphony of Stories”.

Please ensure that if your child is wearing a costume, that they have a hat, suitable footwear and clothing for the remainder of the day at school. (Shoes with heels etc are not recommended.)

While it is always fun to dress up, the staff will be focusing on great literature and continuing to foster a love of reading books.

To assist both parents and students with planning, an official copy of the 2027 term dates for Padbury Catholic Primary School is listed below. Please be advised that PUPIL FREE DAYS are still to be assigned, and we will inform the community as soon as this occurs.

As part of Catholic Education Western Australia's ongoing commitment to supporting schools in the delivery of Consent and Respectful Relationships Education (CRRE), CEWA is seeking feedback from parents and carers about their information and support needs in this area.

Grounded in the Catholic understanding of the dignity of every person and the call to support the integral human development of each child and young person, this work affirms the importance of forming students to recognise, respect and uphold the dignity, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others. Parents and carers, as the primary educators of their children, play a critical role in shaping children's understanding of relationships, respect, safety and wellbeing.

To ensure future parent resources and engagement opportunities are relevant and responsive, CEWA has developed a short survey to gather parent perspectives, questions and areas of interest relating to consent and respectful relationships education.

The survey will:

• Gather information about parents' current understanding of consent and respectful relationships education.
• Identify topics parents would value further information or support with.
• Inform the development of future parent-facing resources and engagement opportunities.
• Support CEWA and schools to strengthen partnerships with families around student wellbeing and healthy relationships.

The survey should take approximately 5 minutes to complete and responses are anonymous.

Mr Fontaine

Acting Principal

If a family would like to place a note in the Pastoral Care section of the newsletter in relation to a birth or death, or if a family would like the whole school community to pray for any special intentions e.g. a family member who is ill, please send a message to please let your child’s class teacher or Mrs Ellen at the front office know or send an email to admin@padcath.wa.edu.au

Term 3 is always a busy and productive time with competition entries, new programs being introduced, completing a Day of AI, Robotics change overs and a continuation of the APSMO maths games entries. Currently our students are competing their ICT entries with content derived from the United Nations sustainable Goals. I am extremely pleased and very impressed with the students work.

Many of the entries that will be submitted have coded games incorporated in them where our students have taught themselves the skills to compete and design these programs. They have then linked all their inclusions into their published entry. With Kahoot games, Rocket Games, Videos, Slide shows, books and posters our entries are of a very high standard.

Below is a link to Entry 133 by Riva & Honor, Year 4.

I wish all of our students the best of luck.

Mrs Botegga

Extension

Edu-Dance is in full swing this term, and students are thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to express themselves, build confidence, and showcase their creativity through dance. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and engagement during each session.

We are looking forward to the Edu-Dance concerts later this term, where students will have the chance to share their hard work and talent with family and friends. The concerts are scheduled for Week 9, on Tuesday 15 September and Thursday 17 September at 2:00 pm.

Please mark these dates in your diary and keep an eye out for further information closer to the performances. We look forward to seeing you there!

Mrs Bonny

Assistant Principal

Parents are reminded that we have a process at Padbury Catholic in regard to any documents being requested by external agencies. These documents, (eg observations, checklists etc) must be first approved by the principal. Teachers cannot provide any information until permission is sort by the principal.

Please send your request in an email to the principal via admin (admin@padcath.wa.edu.au). Once you have received permission, we will then let your child’s teacher know and provide them with the document or information required.

When this document or information has been completed by the teacher, it will be sent to admin and forwarded to the designated external agency (eg Paediatrician, Speech Pathologist, Psychologist etc).

We appreciate your support with this process and please ensure that you provide the school with sufficient time to complete or provide any necessary documentation.

Enrolments and interviews are now underway for Pre‑Kindy 2027 and Kindergarten for 2028.

Please note that Kindergarten 2027 is already full.

A reminder to all families to ensure siblings are enrolled early, as some families have unfortunately missed out in previous years. If you have a baby or toddler, please enrol them now to secure a place for future years.

Every year Dental Health Services (DHS) offers parents and carers the chance to register their kids for free dental care at the School Dental Service (SDS). The offer is open to every student from the year they turn 5 until their 17th birthday and includes check-ups, fillings, and simple extractions.

Your child will soon bring home an envelope with an enrolment form, Frequently Asked Questions, and reply-paid envelope from DHS. Just fill in the enrolment form, pop it in the reply-paid envelope, and put it in your nearest post box.

Once we receive your form at DHS our team will register your child and arrange for you to receive an appointment in the mail.

If you would like further information on DHS services and the SDS please visit our website: www.dental.wa.gov.au

See flyer below for the upcoming season of Spring Netball.

There are plenty of exciting P&F events coming up over the next few weeks, so be sure to keep an eye on the P&F Facebook page and the school newsletter for the latest updates, volunteer opportunities and event information.

• Father's Day Breakfast – Friday, 4 September
• Athletics Carnival Sausage Sizzle – Friday, 11 September
• Final Sausage Sizzle for 2026 – Friday, 25 September

We look forward to seeing you at these events.

We are excited to officially open the EOI for the PCPS Business Directory, a wonderful opportunity for our school community to connect, support local businesses, and celebrate the many talented families within our school.

We are offering 3 different advertising size options:

· Full A5 Page (1700 x 2430px) = $200

· Half A5 Page (1700 x 1215px) = $100

· QTR A5 Page (850 x 1215px) = $50

With enough interest the directory would be available as a printed copy distributed to every PCPS family in Term 4 2026 as well as a digital copy available on the school website.

We invite families to get involved, promote their business and/or offer an exclusive discount or special promotion to members of our school community.

Please find some FAQs below that we have put together to hopefully answer some questions.

Spots are limited so get in quick. To reserve your spot and for further details please contact Sophie Roberts (sophie-green@live.com.au) or Cait Oxlade (caitoxlade88@gmail.com)

Thank you from the P&C

Our next Parents & Friends Meeting will be held:

• Wednesday 26th August @ 6.30pm – (2027 Planning and Budget prep meeting)
• Wednesday 11th Nov @ 6.30pm – (2027 Planner & Budget endorsed)

We warmly invite all parents and carers to join us. It’s a great opportunity to hear what’s planned for the year ahead, share ideas, provide input (including feedback from recent events), and connect with other families in our community.

Whether you’re a regular attendee or joining for the first time, you are very welcome.

We’d love to see you there!

Don't forget to support our Containers for Change program!

If you're collecting eligible cans and bottles at home, we'd love you to consider donating your refund to the PCPS P&F. Every container helps raise funds for projects that benefit our school while also making a positive impact on the environment.

Simply use our Scheme ID: C11483224 when you return your containers.

Thank you for your continued support. Together, we can make a difference for our school community and our planet—one container at a time!

Mrs Cathy Farrell

P&F Chair

The Council for Catholic Women Perth invites you to hear renowned scripture scholar Dr Michele Connolly rsj discuss the life and influence of the real St Paul through his seven authentic letters and his radical vision of God in Christ.

Attend a lecture on Friday 4 September 6-8pm or a workshop on Saturday 5 September 9am-3pm, both at James Nestor Hall Catholic Education Office 50 Ruislip St West Leederville. Cost: Donation. Light refreshments provided. RSVP by Wednesday 2 September to kerrymacfarlane2@gmail.com or text 0400 886 835.

The Autism Association of WA's annual Autism in Cricket – Come and Try Session is on this September, and we would love to welcome students with Autism and their families to join us at the WACA Ground for this action-packed morning of activities!

The Come and Try Session is supported by specialised staff from the Autism Association and WA Cricket staff; and provides an enjoyable, inclusive and pressure-free environment for children to try cricket for the first time.

Throughout the morning, participants will join in on a range of fun activities and games, meet WA State Cricket players and the Perth Scorchers mascots, and receive a goody bag to take home with them.