St Denis School Newsletter

Principal's Message
Annual Community Meeting 2025
P&F Meeting for 2026
St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal
2026 Uniforms

✝️ Prayer

Loving God,

As we begin this season of Advent, open our hearts to Your hope.

Help us to prepare with joy and patience for the coming of Jesus.

Guide our words, actions, and thoughts so that we bring light to others.

May this week be filled with kindness, peace, and a sense of Your presence.

Amen.

Week 8

Tuesday 2 December: 5:00pm P&F Planning for 2026

Wednesday 3 December: 5:30pm Pre-Kindy Orientation (Parent Session)

Week 9

Tuesday 9 December: Meet the Teacher

Thursday 11 December: Graduation Mass

Friday 12 December: Last day for students and Reports home

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Advent 2025 begins this Sunday and continues until Christmas Eve, inviting us to prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. As we start to wind down and enjoy the last school events of the year, we take time to reflect on all that our students have achieved and experienced. Families and communities often mark this season with meaningful traditions, such as lighting the candles on an Advent wreath, reflecting on hope, peace, joy and love, and sharing moments of togetherness. Advent is a wonderful opportunity to pause, anticipate and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. As we move into the final weeks of the school year, there is a real sense of excitement and gratitude across our community as we celebrate achievements, enjoy special events and appreciate how much our students have grown. We are looking forward to seeing our families at our upcoming Christmas Concert and Graduation Mass.

ANNUAL COMMUNITY MEETING 2025

Thank you to all families who attended our Annual Community Meeting last night. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the many achievements of 2025 and to acknowledge the dedication of our staff, School Advisory Council, and P&F.

We welcomed our new P&F and CSAC members for 2026 and expressed our gratitude to both those leaving and continuing in their roles. Your support, insight and commitment play a vital role in shaping the direction of our school. Staffing for 2026 was shared at the ACM. Behind the scenes, we are thoughtfully planning for a wonderful year ahead, with great care taken in placing teachers in classes to best support our students’ learning and wellbeing.

Thank you once again to our community for your ongoing partnership and for helping make St Denis such a vibrant and thriving school.

P&F MEETING FOR 2026

We warmly welcome you to our P&F Planning Meeting for 2026, taking place next Tuesday, 2nd December, at 5:00 pm. All P&F Executive members, P&F representatives and family members are invited to join us. On this evening, in accordance with the P&F Terms of Reference, elections for the vacant office bearer roles will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner. These elections must occur within two weeks of the ACM nominations and all general and associate members attending this meeting will be eligible to vote. We will also be discussing the main events for 2026 and planning for an exciting year ahead.

ST VINCENT DE PAUL CHRISTMAS APPEAL

St Denis is proud to participate in the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal again. We are coming together to prepare festive hampers for over 45 local families who have sought help from the St Vincent de Paul Society. Our parishioners will also contribute to filling these hampers with nourishing food. Join us in this endeavour to support our community and spread some holiday cheer to those in need!

Donation Details: Please drop off your donations in the designated baskets located in all classrooms from Tuesday, 25 November to Wednesday, 10 December 2025. More information has been sent through Seesaw.

2026 UNIFORMS

A consistent school uniform helps our children feel proud confident and connected to our community and ensures that all students are presented in a way that reflects our high standards at St Denis. As many families will be organising uniforms over the coming weeks, we encourage you to take the time to check the details closely so that everyone is in the correct uniform from the beginning of 2026.

It is important that all families are aware of our updated St Denis School uniform expectations. From next year all students from Pre Primary to Year 5 will be required to wear all components of the updated school uniform. This includes specific items such as socks, so we ask that you review the uniform information sent via SEESAW.

Thank you for your support and partnership in helping our students look and feel their best.

Please find attached information regarding the collection and gifting of old stock uniform items. You can access the Community run St Denis Buy and Swap page via this link:

https://tinyurl.com/3jfe7tav

Looking forward to the last few weeks of 2025.

Warm Regards,

Sarah Potts

PRINCIPAL

Government Social Media Ban

With the national social media ban for under-16’s coming into effect on the 10th of December, some of our young people will be entering a period of adjustment. The new legislation means that children under 16 are no longer permitted to create or maintain accounts on age-restricted platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook. Social media platforms will be required to use technologies such as facial analysis software, behavioural data or ID checks to verify a user's age before allowing them to sign up for an account.

Each social media company will be responsible for deciding which age verification method to use based on the system that will work best for their platform. Social media platforms will also be required to find and de-activate existing accounts held by people under 16 and set up an easy to access review process for users who believe they have been incorrectly flagged as underage.

For many young people, this change may bring mixed feelings. Others might be entirely unaffected. If your child is currently active on social media and has any online photos or memories they would like to save, they will need to do so before the 10th of December, as they will not be able to access their accounts after that.

It’s common for children to feel frustrated, disappointed, or uncertain, especially if social media has been a big part of their daily life or a way of staying connected with friends. Acknowledging these feelings and inviting gentle, open conversations can help them feel understood rather than punished. Asking questions like “What do you think you’ll miss most?” or “What feels tricky about this change?” can give them space to express their experience.

Please click on this link to open Entertainment Book

“Grab your entertainment membership today!
St Denis receives 20% of every membership sold and goes directly to our fundraiser”

Playgroup is a beautiful space for families to connect. It’s a joy to see new friendships form and to share in the fun of songs, stories, and playtime together.

We meet every week during term time—can’t wait to see you at our next session! More fun, new friends, and great memories are just around the corner.

SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE, REMINDER TO ENROL!

Recently your child may have brought home an envelope with an enrolment form, FAQ and reply-paid envelope from Dental Health Services. Please remember to fill in the enrolment form, pop it in the reply-paid envelope, and put in 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 or to find your nearest SDS Dental Therapy Centre, please visit our website: www.dental.wa.gov.au