It’s hard to believe it’s Week 5 already! I love the confident way all our students are heading into school each day and embracing their learning with curiosity, enthusiasm, and a real sense of joy. It has been wonderful to enjoy these beautiful sunny days as our students continue their learning.
We’re also looking forward to the exciting events planned for the final half of the school term and can’t wait to celebrate the many achievements of our wonderful school community.
Please see the following messages for more information.
Year 1 Remembrance Day Liturgy
Remembrance Day is a time to honour and remember the sacrifices of those who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces, and to reflect on the importance of peace. Our Year 1 students marked this occasion with a liturgy. They read beautifully and participated with care, demonstrating respect and understanding for this important day. A special thank you to Miss Mckenzie for preparing the students so thoughtfully for this meaningful event.
Inter-School Sports Carnival Success
We are thrilled to announce that our school has won the overall trophy at this year’s Inter School Sports Carnival! Competing against St Lawrence, Our Lady of Mercy, St Gerard’s and Our Lady of Lourdes, our students showed amazing skill, teamwork and sportsmanship across every event, and their hard work and dedication really paid off. We were especially impressed by our students’ exemplary sportsmanship, supporting each other and even, at times, students from other schools. A huge thank you to Mrs Mac for her amazing organisation and planning, our attending staff and to all the parents who came along to support our athletes. What a fantastic way to celebrate our school spirit!
Year 5 Persuasive Writing
Our Year Five students recently tried to persuade me to introduce an extra recess every day. Their letters were extremely convincing and very well written! I explained that we can’t add another daily break due to instructional time requirements and teacher workload, but I was so impressed with their effort that I have agreed to give them one bonus 20-minute recess (which Mrs White and I will organise together). It was wonderful to see them advocate for something they care about, use strong arguments and have a bit of fun with their writing at the same time!
Professional Development Day – Monday 17 November
Next week our staff will be working with CEWA consultants for a Professional Development Day focused on analysing and discussing our recent student data. This will be a really valuable opportunity for teachers to look closely at student progress, talk through areas of growth and identify the next steps to support improvement. Days like this allow us to track the progression of our students really effectively and ensure we continue to build on what is working well in teaching and learning across the school.
Apology and Clarification
Recently a video was shared on behalf of our school in relation to a CEWA Quality Catholic Education Award on SEESAW and the Facebook platform. While the intention was to celebrate information about a student-led initiative at St Denis, I acknowledge that the way this was communicated caused concern for some members of our community, particularly in the way their children were represented.
I sincerely apologise for this, and the video has now been removed from all platforms.
I appreciate the feedback and thank those who reached out with their concerns. I will use this as an opportunity to reflect and strengthen the way we communicate and share student-related content moving forward, ensuring our messaging continues to uphold the dignity, care and respect that we value so deeply as a school community.
Annual Community Meeting Reminder
A reminder that our Annual Community Meeting is coming up on Tuesday November 25. This is a great chance for us to come together as a school community, celebrate the year, look at our achievements and share what is ahead for 2026. We would love to see as many families as possible there to be part of the conversation and connect with each other. Confirm your attendance to be in the running for an amazing prize!
RSVP - ANNUAL COMMUNITY MEETING – Fill in form
Have a wonderful fortnight, everyone.
Warm Regards,
Sarah Potts
PRINCIPAL
