St Denis School Newsletter

• Book Week – Symphony of Stories
• St Denis Netball Committee
• Congratulations - Performing Arts

• CEWA Early Childhood Conference 2026 – Team reflection

• P&F - Colour Run and Fathers Day Breakfast

✝️ Prayer

Loving God,

You call us to nurture children in their earliest, precious years.

Help us to honour each child’s development. Their curiosity, their voice, their sense of belonging.

May we create rich, engaging learning environments where imagination leads discovery, where relationships build security and where every child feels safe to grow.

Amen.

Week 5

Thursday 20 August: Book Week Assembly in the hall at 8:50am

Week 6

Monday 24 August: PUPIL FREE DAY

Wednesday 26 August: Interschool Cross Country

Thursday 27 August: Year 5 Reconciliation

Thursday 27 August: Choir Performance at The Vasto Club

Friday 28 August: Year 6 Assembly

Week 7

Monday 31 August: Swimming Lessons begin

Thursday 3 September: Kindy Father’s Day Afternoon

Friday 4 September: Father’s Day Breakfast in the hall at 7:30am

Friday 4 September: Pre-Kindy Father’s Day morning

Friday 4 September: Father’s Day Liturgy in the hall at 8:50am

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

BOOK WEEK - SYMPHONY OF STORIES

We are looking forward to celebrating Book Week and this year’s theme, Symphony of Stories celebrating the many stories, characters and voices that bring books to life.

This connects beautifully with our Friday Reading Club, where teachers have been sharing stories with students in the Library each Friday at lunchtime. It has been lovely to see students choosing to spend their lunch enjoying a good book and sharing the joy of reading with their friends and teachers.

We are so lucky to have Mrs. Romani, who spends many hours finding books to cater for the wide range of interests across our school. When my boys visited during the holidays, they couldn’t believe the selection (and they may have known someone who let them borrow a book or two!).

Our family loves a visit to the library, and I encourage our families to make the most of our wonderful local libraries too. There is nothing quite like discovering a new book!

We will celebrate Book Week with a special assembly where children will parade on Thursday, 20 August at 8:50am. Parents are welcome to attend. We look forward to celebrating the joy of reading together!

ST DENIS NETBALL COMMITTEE

St Denis School has a long-standing tradition of supporting an out of school netball program with the Perth Netball Association (PNA). Meghann Walsh who has done an amazing job for our school Coordinating for the netball has advised she will be finishing this season. In consultation with Meghann, with increasing student participation expected in 2027, we are looking to formalise a St Denis Netball Committee to help coordinate and support the growing netball program.

PNA requires each club to have a nominated Netball Coordinator, and we would like to appoint two coordinators to share this responsibility. We are also looking for a number of parent volunteers to join the committee and assist with various aspects of the program, including team organisation, communication, uniforms, equipment, coaching and other club activities.

You don’t need to be a netball expert or have previous committee experience – we are simply looking for parents who are willing to lend a hand and help make netball a positive experience for our students and families. We currently have 7 teams, with approximately 60 athletes. If you are interested in becoming a Netball Coordinator or would like to be part of the committee, or would like more information, please contact admin@stdenis.wa.edu.au. A meeting will be scheduled later in the year for those interested.

Thank you for your support.

CONGRATULATIONS - PERFORMING ARTS

It has been wonderful to see our students embracing the Performing Arts and sharing their talents through the Catholic Performing Arts Festival. We are incredibly proud of the confidence and dedication they show when performing.

Congratulations to the following students who have been recognised with certificates for their individual performances.

PIANO SOLO (YR 4)

STRINGS SOLO (YRS 4-6)

OUTSTANDING

Isabella C

I am looking forward to seeing the Boys and Girls Choir perform on the 27 August at the Vasto Club.

CEWA EARLY CHILDHOOD CONFERENCE 2026 - TEAM REFLECTION

Our early childhood team (Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Maiden, Miss Mckenzie, Miss Rigoli and Miss Tuohy) had a wonderful opportunity to attend the CEWA Early Childhood Conference 2026, which provided a valuable time to reflect, learn and be inspired by current thinking in early childhood education.

A key message from speaker Dr Laura Jana was the importance of nurturing children’s human skills, relationships, identity and sense of belonging. In a rapidly changing, AI-powered world, skills such as curiosity, creativity, resilience, communication, collaboration and adaptability are more important than ever. Her message reinforced the importance of creating rich, meaningful experiences where children can develop through relationships and play. Play is a powerful context for developing these essential human skills, allowing children to imagine, problem-solve, communicate and build resilience.

Dr Ron Ritchhart highlighted the importance of shaping classroom culture through expectations, relationships, routines and the learning environment. When children feel that they belong, that their ideas matter and that they have agency in their learning, they are more likely to see themselves as capable thinkers and confident learners.

Staff participated in workshops that were both inspiring and affirming, reinforcing the wonderful practices already embedded within our ECE classrooms here at St Denis. The conference was a valuable reminder that the relationships we build, the environments we create and the opportunities we provide each day play a significant role in shaping children’s sense of belonging, agency and lifelong learning.

We returned feeling excited and encouraged to continue creating inclusive, play-based learning environments where every child feels valued, capable and empowered to flourish. Most importantly, the conference reaffirmed that play is one of the most powerful ways young children learn, think, connect, create and make sense of their world.

Have a wonderful week,

Warm regards,

Sarah Potts

PRINCIPAL

A huge thank you to our wonderful P&F Committee for all the preparation and excitement going into our upcoming Colour Run on Feast Day! We’ve had a fantastic response so far and can’t wait to see our students covered in colour and having lots of fun!

COLOUR RUN REGISTRATION AND DONATIONS

Don’t forget to register your child! Remember, anyone can donate. Parents can simply create their child’s student profile and share the fundraising link with grandparents, family and friends. Every donation helps make our Colour Run a success!

A big thank you to our Year 5 P&F Representatives and wonderful volunteers for all their work in preparing our upcoming Father’s Day event.

It will be a beautiful opportunity for us to come together and celebrate the special men and father figures in our lives.

If you haven’t registered yet, please make sure you secure your free ticket via the link below so we can ensure we have adequate catering for everyone attending.

FATHER'S DAY TICKETS

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

mayank@tennisexcellence.com.au.

🏐 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:

https://www.playhq.com/netball-australia/register/02173c

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

2 Orchid Street, Joondanna

Perth, Western Australia, 6060

08 9242 3422

admin@stdenis.wa.edu.au