St Denis School Newsletter
Term 1 Week 1
- Principal's Message
- Parent Information Sessions
- Daisy Returns
- Staffing News
- Sundowner
- Term Planners
- Playgroup
- Kindy 2027: Sibling Applications
✝️ Prayer
Gracious God,
At the start of this new school year, we thank You for the gift of new beginnings. Be with us as we learn grow and journey together. Open our minds to understanding our hearts to compassion and our spirits to courage and joy.
Bless our students as they discover their gifts our teachers as they guide with care and dedication and our families as they support and encourage each step along the way. May our school be a welcoming place where faith is lived kindness is shared and everyone feels valued and safe.
Walk with us through the year ahead and help us to act with love in all that we say and do.
We place this year in Your hands.
Amen.
Week 1
Friday 6 Feb
9:00am Whole School Mass
Week 2
Monday 9 February
6:00pm: P&F Meeting in the Science room all parents' welcome
Tuesday 10 Feb
Parent information sessions
5:30pm: Pre-Primary, Year 4, Year 5
6:00pm: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 6
Thursday 12 Feb
8:40am: Playgroup commences
Friday 13 Feb
9:00am: Assembly in the hall: Vision, Values and Faction launch
Week 3
Monday 16 Feb
6:00pm: School Advisory Council Meeting
Wednesday 18 Feb
9:00am: Ash Wednesday Mass (School Hall)
Saturday 21 Feb
4:00pm: P&F Welcome Sundowner
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Welcome to the 2026 School Year
After a wonderful school holiday break, it has been a joy to return to St Denis and begin another year together. The holidays were filled with time spent with family and friends, long summer days, beach swims, and snorkelling adventures that created many special memories. That time to slow down and enjoy being together was wonderful!
There was also plenty of reading, a lovely reminder of how stories connect us across ages and interests. My boys and I buried ourselves in books. Some of our favourites included Sunrise of the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth, The Good Losers by Meg Bignell, The Names by Florence Knapp, The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien, several The Bad Guys books, Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson and a stack of 1980s Phantom comics. I wonder if you can guess whose favourites were whose.
I am very excited to be back at school and ready for another incredible year with our students. It has been lovely to greet the children each morning and to hear all about their holidays and adventures. They look wonderful in their uniforms and there is a real sense of happiness and positivity around the school as we begin the year.
Our teachers have enjoyed a wonderful week building connections with their students. It has been a positive and purposeful start to the year, and I am confident that 2025 will be filled with learning, growth and joy for our entire community.
Parent Information Sessions: Tuesday 10 Feb
5:30pm: Pre-Primary, Year 4, Year 5
6:00pm: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 6
We warmly welcome parents and caregivers to attend our upcoming Parent Information Sessions. These sessions provide a valuable opportunity to learn about classroom routines, expectations, curriculum focus areas and ways to support your child’s learning throughout the year. They are also a wonderful chance to meet teachers, ask questions and strengthen the partnership between home and school. We look forward to seeing you there.
Daisy Returns This Year
In other news, Daisy also enjoyed a lovely holiday with Debbie the dog sitter. She eagerly bounced into our arms when we picked her up, although she had clearly made herself very much at home with her holiday friend.
For our new families, Daisy is an F1 Cavoodle, making her hypoallergenic. Daisy will be returning to St Denis this year with a gentle and gradual reintroduction. Please see some information regarding Daisy and if your child has any allergies, I encourage you to please complete the relevant form within this link so we can ensure that Daisy’s visits do not negatively impact your child.
https://sway.cloud.microsoft/0CdnBiEqTX7kKU5q?ref=Link
More information about Daisy’s visits and her role in our school community will be shared soon and we look forward to welcoming her back as part of our wellbeing program.
Staffing News
Over the break, Mason Tate, our Social Worker, who we have shared with Our Lady of Lourdes over the past twelve months, has been offered a wonderful opportunity to work in a single location as a Youth Counsellor in Fremantle. While we are very excited for Mason and this next step in his career, we are also very sad to see him leave and we know many of our students will feel the same. Mason has made a meaningful impact across both school communities through his care, support and connection with students and families. We will be advertising this position shortly and advise you of the new appointment.
Sundowner
Our annual St Denis Sundowner is just around the corner, and we warmly encourage all families to come along and join us for a relaxed and fun afternoon together as a school community. This is always a wonderful opportunity to connect with other families, staff and friends while celebrating the start of the school year.
This year, there will be soccer sessions to help keep the children active and entertained, along with plenty of food options including pizza available to order from Marco’s and a delicious Vietnamese food van. There will also be lots of fun activities for the children to enjoy, including a silent disco and face painting.
We will also be seeking some volunteers to assist on the day. As this is one of the largest events of the year, many hands make light work, and we greatly appreciate the generosity and support of our families. Information requesting help and donations will be distributed via Seesaw on the P&F channel.
A very special thank you to Nat Scali and the Year 2 Class for coordinating this event for our community. Your time and effort are truly appreciated.
It would be wonderful to see you all there!
Term Planners
Our Term Planners have been updated with key dates for families to access via our school website. As mentioned in this week’s 2026 Communication, we are commencing a refresh of our school website with a CEWA approved company.
At this stage, while we continue to use our current website, planners will be updated fortnightly in line with the school newsletter. When our new website launches, there will be an embedded calendar providing up-to-date information and any changes as they arise.
Playgroup
Our St Denis Playgroup run by Mrs Anderson is a wonderful opportunity for families with younger children to connect, play and become part of our school community. Playgroup provides a relaxed and welcoming environment where children can engage in a variety of fun and engaging activities while parents and caregivers build friendships and connections with other families.
Playgroup sessions are held in the school hall on Thursdays and will commence in Week 2 at 8:40am in the hall. If you have a child who is between 0-4, or you know of families in the community who may be interested, we would love to welcome them along.
For further information or to register your interest, please contact the Administration Office.
Kindy 2027 – Sibling Applications
Families with younger siblings intending to commence Kindy in 2027 who have not yet submitted an application are encouraged to contact the Administration Office as soon as possible. Due to strong interest, we are no longer accepting applications from non-sibling families at this time.
Interviews for Kindy 2027 will commence in the coming weeks.
Warm Regards,
Sarah Potts
PRINCIPAL
St Denis receives 20% of every membership sold and goes directly to our fundraiser”
Play Group - Recommences Thursday 12th February
St Denis Netball
Dear St Denis Families,
St Denis participates in a winter netball competition through Perth Netball Association at Matthew’s Netball Centre, Jolimont, for students in Year 2 to Year 6 (boys and girls). Games start in Term 2 on a Thursday/Friday/Saturday, and training is undertaken at the school (times depending on teams and coaches) – usually starting towards the latter half of Term 1.
I am the netball coordinator for 2026, and I am happy to answer any questions about the upcoming season. We are taking expression of interest for any new children not already associated with a team from 2025.
If you would like any further information, please email stdenisnetballclub@gmail.com
Kind Regards,
Meghann Walsh
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.
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
