St Denis School Newsletter
Term 3 Week 3
- First Holy Communion
- Feast of the Assumption
- Exiting Students 2027
- Excursion Update
-
Early Childhood Conference
Staffing Update
Cross Country Carnival
✝️ Prayer
Prayer for the Feast of the Assumption
Loving God,
We thank you for the gift of Mary, a woman of great faith, courage and love.
May we follow her example by trusting in you, caring for others and saying “yes” to the opportunities you place before us.
Bless our St Denis community as we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption next Friday.
May Mary’s kindness, compassion and hope continue to guide us each day.
Amen.
Week 3
7 August: 5:30pm Year 4 Communion
Week 4
10 August: Year 4-6 DIGITAL WELLBEING WORKSHOP
11 & 12 August: School Photos
14 August: 9:00am Feast of the Assumption Mass at St Denis Church
Week 5
17 August: Year 1 & 2 Excursion to the Zoo
17 August: 6:00pm CSAC Meeting
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
✝️ First Holy Communion
This Friday evening, our Year 4 students will receive the Sacrament of First Holy Communion.
This is a very special milestone in their faith journey as they receive Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. We pray that this beautiful occasion is filled with joy for our students and their families, and that they continue to grow in faith as valued members of our parish and school community.
Please keep our Year 4 students and their families in your prayers as they celebrate this important sacrament.
🙏 Feast of the Assumption
Next week, on Friday 14 August, we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the most significant feast days in the Catholic Church.
The Feast of the Assumption reminds us of Mary's steadfast faith, courage and trust in God. She is a wonderful example of humility, compassion and service to others. As a Mercy school, we are inspired by Mary's example of saying “yes” to God’s call and living a life centred on kindness, love and hope.
As a school community, we will gather in prayer to celebrate this special feast day and give thanks for Mary’s example and the many blessings in our lives.
🌟 Speak Up Awards
Congratulations to Harvey (Year 5), Isabella (Year 6) and Charlie (Year 6), who represented St Denis at the Speak Up Awards this year.
The standard of speeches across our school was incredibly high, making it very difficult to select just three students to represent us. I was lucky enough to attend on the day and was so proud of each of our students. They spoke with confidence, knew their speeches exceptionally well and entertained the audience from beginning to end.
A special congratulations to Isabella and Harvey, who have progressed through to the next heat. We wish them all the very best as they continue in the competition.
Thank you to Mr Magry and Ms Lanigan for the time, encouragement and expertise they have invested in our students. Opportunities like this help our students develop confidence, resilience and valuable public speaking skills that will stay with them well beyond the classroom.
📚 Exiting Students 2027
We are currently finalising enrolments for Pre-Kindy 2027 and preparing for student placements across all year levels for next year.
If your child will not be returning to St Denis in 2027 (outside of our Year 6 students), we kindly ask that you notify the school office as soon as possible. This information is incredibly helpful as we have waiting lists in many year levels and allows us to begin offering places to new families.
Thank you for your support and assistance as we prepare for another exciting year ahead.
🚌 Excursion Update
Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) has recently updated its excursion policy. As a result, parent or caregiver permission is now required for every excursion or off-site activity.
From now on, all excursion information will be communicated through Seesaw and will include an accompanying permission form that must be completed before your child can attend. This applies to all excursions and off-site activities, including swimming lessons, year-level excursions, performances and other learning experiences outside the school grounds.
We appreciate your support in completing these permission forms promptly so that all students can participate in these valuable learning opportunities.
💙 Staffing Update
We are delighted to share some wonderful news with our school community.
Congratulations to Mrs White and Mrs Pillera, who are both expecting babies later this year! We couldn't be happier for them as they prepare for this exciting new chapter.
As a result, we will shortly be advertising temporary teaching positions through the CEWA website to cover their maternity leave to commence in 2027.
We look forward to welcoming new staff members to St Denis while Mrs White and Mrs Pillera enjoy this precious time with their growing families.
Warm Regards,
Sarah Potts
PRINCIPAL
Annual Cross Country Carnival 2026
What a fantastic afternoon we had on Thursday 24th July as our Year 3–6 students made their way to Yokine Reserve for the annual St Denis Cross Country Carnival. Blessed with beautiful winter sunshine and perfect running conditions, the afternoon was filled with determination, encouragement and plenty of school spirit.
A highlight of the day was watching our Year 3 students take on their very first Cross Country Carnival. Although many were understandably nervous before the starting whistle, they showed remarkable courage, persistence and resilience as they tackled the course. Their determination to keep going and cross the finish line was inspiring, and they should all be incredibly proud of their efforts.
The carnival was filled with enthusiastic participation and outstanding sportsmanship. Students encouraged one another from the sidelines, celebrated personal achievements and demonstrated the supportive spirit that makes our St Denis community so special.
Congratulations to MacKillop, who were crowned the 2026 Cross Country Champions with 238 points. Benizi finished a close second with 209 points, followed by McAuley on 118 points. Well done to all students for contributing valuable points to their faction.
A huge thank you goes to our teachers and education assistants whose organisation, encouragement and support helped make the afternoon such a success. Events like these simply wouldn't be possible without their dedication.
Congratulations to all students on their fantastic efforts throughout the carnival. The table below includes the individual results and proudly announces the students selected to represent St Denis at the upcoming Interschool Cross Country Carnival on Wednesday 26th August. We look forward to seeing you at Running Club training every Wednesday at 8:15 am as we prepare for the upcoming carnival. We wish our interschool team every success and know they will represent St Denis with pride.
Student Wellbeing Programs
This term, our Student Support Team is excited to introduce a range of small-group wellbeing programs designed to support students’ social, emotional and physical development. These programs provide targeted opportunities for students to build confidence, develop important life skills and strengthen their participation in the classrooms.
Our education assistants, Mrs Johnson and Miss Peou will work across the school to deliver these small group programs.
LEGO CLUB
LEGO Club brings students together in small groups to work collaboratively on shared building projects. Through fun, hands- on activities, students develop valuable interpersonal skills that support both learning and friendships.
It provides students with opportunities to strengthen skills such as effective communication, active listening, working collaboratively, building and maintaining friendships and developing confidence in new social situations.
Sessions are engaging, interactive and designed to help students build resilience and positive relationships in a supportive environment.
KIMOCHIS
Kimochis is a social emotional learning program delivered to students from Kindy to Year 3, with additional small group support to target social and emotional skill development.
Using engaging characters and stories, students learn to recognise and understand their emotions, develop self-regulation activities, build positive friendships and solve social problems with confidence.
The program provides students with a shared language to talk about feelings and supports positive relationships across the school.
GROSS AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS PROGRAM
Our Gross and Fine Motor Skills Program supports students in developing the foundational physical skills needed for successful participation in everyday classroom activities.
Through fun, engaging practical activities, students develop gross motor co-ordination, hand strength and endurance, fine motor co-ordination, efficient pencil grasp and scissor and cutting skills.
These skills are essential for handwriting, using classroom equipment, completing learning activities and developing greater independence and confidence at school.
Three-Week Mid-Year Term Break 2027
School Dental Service
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE, REMINDER TO ENROL!
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.
If your child is not already enrolled, they 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.
If you have already received the form, please remember to fill it in and send it back ASAP.
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
As we approach Term 3, we’re excited to continue our before-school tennis program at St. Denis, now expanded to include Pre-Primary students as well as Years 1-3 and Years 4-6.
Classes will run every Monday from 7:45-8:30 am. After each session, our coach will safely escort all Pre-Primary students to their classrooms.
Our aim is to provide a fun and inclusive environment where students of all skill levels can enjoy tennis and stay active.
We would greatly appreciate your support in sharing this with parents. Thank you again for your continued help in promoting our program.
If you need any further details, please let me know. Parents can contact me directly at
North Perth Dynamites Netball Club
🏐 Free Come & Try (Years 1 to 4)
📅 Tuesday 25 August 2026
🕓 4:00pm to 5:00pm
📍 Robertson Park, 176 Fitzgerald Street, North Perth
💸 Free, registration required
Families can register in a couple of minutes here:
VacSwim 2026-2027 Programs
VacSwim offers fun swimming lessons over the October and summer school holidays. It aims to give children across Western Australia the skills to stay safe and confident in the water.
Who can enrol
Children aged 5 to 17 years old across swimming stages 1 to 16. For specific stage information refer to our website.
One program per child
To ensure a fair and equitable opportunity for all children to enjoy VacSwim, enrolment is limited to one program per child. This means:
· one enrolment permitted for October programs
· one enrolment permitted for summer programs (December and January).
Families can register on a waitlist for additional programs if desired.
When enrolments close
October enrolments close Wednesday 19 August 2026
Summer enrolments close Wednesday 14 October 2026
How to enrol
The easiest way to enrol is online at www.education.wa.edu.au/vacswim
You can also download an enrolment form to complete, print and mail by the enrolment closing date to:
VacSwim
Department of Education
Statewide Services Centre
33 Giles Avenue
Padbury WA 6025
