St Luke's Catholic Primary

Dear Parents and Carers

It’s hard to believe we are in Term 4 already!

At morning drop off there have been big smiles from the children and some parents as well! Whist we understand that parents have morning commitments, you are reminded that before school supervision begins at 8:10. When students in Years 1- 6 arrive at school, they need to gather in the undercover area from where they will be dismissed to go to their classes after the first bell.

On Monday staff gathered for a day of discernment and reflection on the topic, ‘St Luke’s as a the ‘sensitive meeting place’ between the modern world and the mission of the Gospel/Church’. This day was facilitated by Fr Tony Chiera and was both refreshing and informative.

Our Year 3 students are preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We ask that you keep these students, their families and teachers in your thoughts and prayers.

SHINE

The students involved in the SHINE program entered the Tournament on Minds at the end of Term 3. There were three teams, two of which received Merit awards, and the Arts Team made it through to the State finals. This was a huge achievement; all students were a credit to themselves, their families and the school. The support of their teachers Bruce Plint, Rosey Martin and Tania Farcich was critical to their success.

Interschool Athletics’ Carnival

This Carnival is scheduled for Friday 18th October. The students have trained hard for this event, and we are sure they will all give their Personal Best on the day.

Class Placement for 2025

Teachers will soon be looking at class groupings for 2025. Many factors are considered when selecting class placements for students and each child’s best interests are the main priority when these decisions are made. Class placements are a team decision made in consultation with the year level teachers and leadership. Every effort is made to place children where it is felt they will have the greatest opportunity to experience success. All teachers at St Luke’s are very professional and need to be trusted in the process.

This year we are trialling the use of a Microsoft Form for parent requests for class placement in 2025. Please read this form carefully and submit by Friday 25th October 2025. https://forms.office.com/r/nwJLf6YfQz

I look forward to continuing to work with you all.

God Bless.

Kerry Hewitson

Principal

All Souls' Day is a holy day within the Church, set aside for honouring those who have passed away into eternal life. This year at St Luke's, we invite families to attend a liturgy to commemorate those who have passed away. Father Stan will guide the liturgy on Friday 1st November at 10:00am. You will also have the opportunity to dedicate a butterfly to place on our memorial wall, if you have not done so already. The liturgy will be followed by morning tea.

If you would like to attend the liturgy and morning tea, please send an email to natalie.vennitti@cewa.edu.au with the following details:

1. Name/s of people attending liturgy

2. Name/s of children attending liturgy (if you would like them to attend)

3. Name of your loved one that you would like to dedicate a butterfly to be added to our memorial wall.

Please reply by Friday 11th October; we look forward to a special morning together.

Our Christmas Concert will take place on the school oval again this year so there will be more room for families to spread out their picnic blankets. Please be mindful that parking will be challenging, so car pooling is encouraged. Please be considerate of our surrounding neighbours and take all rubbish home with you at the end of the evening. Thank you.

Bulk order lists have been ordered by our class teachers for 2025. Therefore, no formal booklists will be sent home from Kindy to Year 6 this year. All items will be delivered straight to the classrooms during January. Booklist levies will be included in the school fees for 2025.

As the weather warms up, a reminder to please ensure your child has their hat at school and applies sunscreen each day. Sunscreen is supplied in each classroom, if your child has allergies or sensitivities, kindly provide a personal tube of cream in their school bag.

Getting absorbed in a new activity is a great way to boost your wellbeing. When facing challenges, it can really help to take a new perspective or find a new way forward.

You may be interested in the free Action for Happiness app for iOS and Android, for more info click this link: https://actionforhappiness.org/all-calendars

Have a wonderful end to the week and an even better weekend!

Kristy Graffin & Sarah Williams

Assistant Principals

Join us for a fun and informative evening at our Annual Committee Meeting and Sundowner!

Parents and guardians, you are invited to an evening of great company, good vibes, and exciting updates at our ACM!

Enjoy a drink and nibbles as you mingle with other parents, catch up on the latest school news, and hear about our exciting upcoming school upgrades that will make St Luke’s even better for our kids! Plus, get a sneak peak about staff for 2025!

This is a fantastic opportunity to meet new faces, chat with the school team, and be part of our wonderful school community. Let’s make this event one to remember—we’d love to see you there!

Don’t miss out—RSVP today!

Volunteer for the School Advisory Council – We Need You!
Are you looking for a rewarding way to get involved and help shape the future of St Luke’s? We are inviting parents and guardians to join our School Advisory Council - a fantastic opportunity to contribute to our school community while connecting with other parents.

What does the School Advisory Council do?
The Council’s function is primarily to support and advise the principal in ensuring a child focused environment for St Luke’s students, and in leading the Catholic Identity, education and community functions of the school.

What is the commitment?
No experience required! Just 2 meetings per term (held at 6pm), with nibbles provided, and the chance to make a real difference in upcoming school improvement projects.

We are especially looking for someone with accounting experience to help us manage school finances, but we also need volunteers for other roles, including a secretary.

Whether you have specific skills to offer or just want to get involved, we would love to have you on board. If you are interested but want to hear more first, feel free to reach out to any of our current committee members:

Chairperson: Tamara Boyer 0414 099 770 boyer.tamara@outlook.com
Vice Chairperson: Laura Hodgen - 0416 698 387
Treasurer: Simon Stevenson windiesrule@gmail.com
Secretary: Sarah Ellam - sarah.ellam@newman.wa.edu.au
Board Member: Craig Day
P&F Representative: Elise Cruttenden
Parish Representative: Fr Stan
Ex Officios: Kerry Hewitson
Observers to the Board: Sarah Williams & Kristy Graffin

Nominations are now open! https://forms.office.com/r/1ThptvBfbK

If you are a twenty-first-century parent, you need a big mental health toolbox to help your kids manage anxiety and other difficult emotions. When life throws curve balls, some kids take things in their stride, while others go straight to anxiety, anger or fear. Feeling emotional extremes is part of life, but that doesn’t mean they must stay in those states. Kids don’t have to stay hostage to their moods. With the right tools, they can quickly shift from a sour mood to a more pleasant and productive space

These ten practical tools help kids have agency over their emotions, allowing them to shift to more pleasant feelings when they feel low.

1. “Take a breath….take a few actually”

The simplest way for a child to feel better, whether it’s to calm nerves before a talk or reduce anxiety before meeting new friends, is to take three or four deep breaths.

• Deep breathing triggers dopamine release, initiating the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes physical calm and contentment.

2. “Picture yourself….”

Anyone who carries a picture of a loved one with them will know how powerful a visual reminder can be.

• Encourage your children to carry a picture of their favourite person, pet, or holiday to help them feel better when needed.

• Pictures and photos have a deep emotional impact as the visual mode is powerful.

3. “Let me entertain you….”

Watching a movie, reading a book and playing a favourite game are great ways to move moods to more desirable places.

These distractions are great for kids’ mental health and super mood shifters as well.

Entertainment conquers the scourge of anxiety-inducing rumination by fast-tracking kids out of their heads and into the present moment.

4. “DO something….”

Boys are action-oriented, acting out their feelings more than girls. When they are happy, they dance and gig around; when they are mad, many become aggressive or more active.

• Help boys use their preference for action to dissipate emotion or shift their moods to better places.

• If they are angry, insist they play an active game or sport to get the energy out.

• Lethargy, boredom and other passive emotional states too can be shifted through physical activity.

PLEASE NOTE: This movement strategy works well for action-oriented girls too.

5. “Listen to the music…”

Have you ever experienced that sudden change in background music from happy to suspenseful in a movie scene? Music will shift an emotional state quicker than anything else, which makes it a brilliant mental health tool.

• Encourage kids to change their moods by listening to music that will help them feel better, more relaxed, or even inspired.
• Playing music and singing can have the same effect.

6. “They get by with a little help from their friends….”

It’s natural for kids to seek solitude when they feel down or have experienced less than pleasant events. They need time to process events internally. Some kids prefer to visit their caves (aka bedrooms) to process their emotions, while others use a keyboard (formerly it was a diary) to help them work through difficult feelings and events.

• At some point, they need to emerge and seek the company of others, whether for distraction or to share their worries.

• Seeking the support of family and friends is a fabulous long-term mood changer and a valuable life skill.

7. “Think yourself to a different mood…”

I remember my mother saying to me as a child, “For goodness’ sake, stop moping about. Stop that ridiculous brooding!” While her take-no-prisoners approach may not be everyone’s cup of tea, her message resonates with every parent. My mother believed that if I could think myself into a negative mood, then I could also think my way to a better mood.

She was right.

• Kids can cultivate positive thoughts by reminiscing about happy times, delightful places, and cheerful occasions.

• Their thoughts impact their feelings, so they should use them to their advantage.

8. “Talk yourself into a better frame of mind…..”

Sustained positive self-talk is one of the best ways to move from a place of anxiety to a place of optimism and hope. The trick is for kids to catch their negative self-talk and replace it with a mantra such as “I can do this. I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again.”

• Change your self-talk, change your moods!
• The hard part is remembering to do it.

9. “Mind the meditation….”

Seeing many schools now add mindfulness and meditation to their well-being programs is fabulous.

• Both are terrific strategies to help kids relax and ease the tensions and stresses of life.

• Both involve managing the mental clutter that can overwhelm individuals, impacting how they feel.

• Mindfulness and meditation can easily be incorporated into everyday family life, and they don't have to be lengthy to be effective.

10. “Get a good night’s sleep…”

Parents of past generations told children and young people, “Remember to get a good night's sleep, and things will be better in the morning.” There’s loads of evidence that links sufficient sleep to good emotional and mental health outcomes. With the high number of children currently experiencing anxiety and depression, a great place to start is – to get a good night’s sleep.

• If your child appears to be consistently unhappy or out of sorts, a visit to the doctor may be a good starting point.
• If that doesn't help, prioritise sleep as the number one factor in maintaining long-term mental health.

Finally…..

Yes, this post is about building your toolbox, so take action.

Whatever you choose, involve your child - invite rather than impose. Start using new tools in low or no-stress situations until they become automatic.

• When a tool or strategy is effective, practice it repeatedly until it becomes automatic.

• Be ready to experiment.

• Know when to persist and make sure you have some fun when using.

Source: Michael Grose- Parenting Toolbox

As calendar dates can be subject to change, please always confirm events by checking our online calendar - https://www.stlukeswoodvale.wa.edu.au/community-calendar

Week 1

Friday 11th October

• PP- Year 6 Loud Shirt Day for TSH
• Merit Award Assembly 2:15pm

Sunday 13th October

• School to Stage Dance Performance

Week 2

Tuesday 15th October

• Year 3 Child & Parent Reconciliation Workshop (3W 4:00-5:30pm, 3B 5:30-7:00pm)

Thursday 17th October

• St Luke's Feast Day Celebrations- Mass 9:00am

Friday 18th October

• Interschool Athletics Carnival

Sunday 20th October

• Feast of St Luke Family Mass 9:30am

Week 3

Thursday 24th October

• Year 6 Hello High School Incursion
• Hello High School Parent Night 6:00pm

Friday 25th October

• St Luke's Educators Day Celebrations
• Merit Award Assembly 2:20pm

Week 4

Monday 28th October

• Year 5 Day Camp

Friday 1st November

• All Souls' Liturgy 10:00am

Week 5

Monday 4th November

• Reconciliation Retreat

Wednesday 6th November

• Pre Kindy 2025 Parent Information Session 4:30pm
• Kindy 2025 Parent Information Session 5:30pm
• Year 3 Reconciliation 6:30pm

Thursday 7th November

• Year 5 Mass 9:00am

Friday 8th November

• Laurence Celebrations
• Merit Award Assembly 2:20pm

Week 6

Monday 11th November

• Remembrance Day Assembly 11am (led by Year 4)

Tuesday 12th November

• Reconciliation for Years 4-6 students

Friday 15th November

• Northern Schools Triathlon

Loud Shirt Day will take place at St Luke’s Catholic Primary school TOMORROW, Friday 11th October. This day provides our school community with a fantastic opportunity to get loud and show our support for children who are deaf and hard of hearing around Australia.

Please show your support by wearing your brightest shirt with your school sport shorts. For more information on Loud Shirt Day, or if you wish to donate, please visit https://fundraise.tsh.org.au/loud-shirt-day

Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to seeing everyone get LOUD!

Telethon Speech and Hearing Team

We will be celebrating St Luke's Feast Day on Thursday, 17th October (Term 4 Week 2). The day will begin with a mass at 9:00am, all are welcome. We will continue the celebrations with class stalls, thank you to the parents who have volunteered to assist on the day. Students may bring a maximum of $10 (preferably in coins) to spend. A small bag to keep their goodies is also a good idea. All money raised on the day will go to the Sisters of Mercy. Please refer to your class newsletters on Seesaw for more information.

The Year 2 classes are seeking donations of good quality second hand books for their St Luke's Feast Day stall. Donations are greatly appreciated and can be dropped into the Year 2 classrooms.

The parents who attended this information session last year came back with rave reviews! It is a highly recommended talk for all our Year 6 families - well worth attending!

Dear Parents,

We are thrilled to announce that our Term 4 STEM projects will focus on the fascinating world of vehicles! This term, students will explore land, water, and air vehicles through hands-on, engaging activities.

We’d love to welcome back our Young Engineers STEM students for another exciting term of learning and discovery. Please find the registration details attached.

Advanced engineering and robotics (Year 4-6): https://www.trybooking.com/CUZMW Beginners engineering and robotics (Year 1 onwards): https://www.trybooking.com/CUZNB

We look forward to seeing your child continue their STEM journey with us!

Warm regards, Young Engineers GM Perth

The SHINE students were working very hard last term to prepare for a number of events where they could display their talents. On the holidays, we were thrilled to learn that our entry in the Perth Royal Show scarecrow competition was awarded 3rd place! If you would like to see the 'Big Bad Wolf' for yourself, it will be on display in the office. Mrs Kadak loved seeing the children's hard work when she visited the show!

All students in PP-Year 6 will be attending an end of year excursion to the movies on the last day of the year, Friday 6th December. We will be going to see Moana 2 at Event Cinemas, Whitfords. The film is yet to receive a rating in Australia, however, we have been advised that it is likely to be rated PG. If you have any concerns about your child viewing this film, please contact the school. More details will be provided closer to the excursion date.

There is consideration for putting a group together to perform some songs at next year's Evening on the Green event. If you play an instrument and/or love to sing, and would be interested in being a part of this entertainment idea, please contact Drew on 0403 765 550 or drewfrance@yahoo.com.au.

We have had some good response so far, we are now on the hunt for a drummer and a singer. If this is you, we would love to hear from you 🕺

Mia (Year 6) travelled to the Gold Coast at the end of last term to compete in Gymnastics Australia’s National Clubs Carnival. She competed International Youth Under 13 tumbling and achieved silver in what was a tough division. Mia has struggled with injury after breaking her foot earlier in the year with this being only her 2nd competition back from injury. Congratulations Mia!

Congratulations to our chess champions from last term, Alistair (Year 6), Jake (Year 6) and Xavier (Year 3). They were acknowledged at the last assembly of Term Three.

If you have any good news stories about our students that you would like to share with the community, please send any photos and a short blurb to natalie.vennitti@cewa.edu.au

If your child will have an extended absence during the school term, please ensure you fill in the form, found here on the school website, at least two weeks before your scheduled departure date.

If your child is not returning to St Luke's in 2025, we kindly ask that you provide written notice of this a minimum of 10 weeks in advance to admin@stlukeswoodvale.wa.edu.au

Families are encouraged to follow St Luke's on social media to keep up to date with the many learning experiences offered to the children and all of the fun happening around our fabulous school:

• St Luke's Facebook
• St Luke's P&F
• P&F Fathering Group
• St Luke's Twitter
• St Luke's Instagram- @stlukeswoodvale
• Lulu the St Luke's Dog Instagram- @luluthestlukesdog

Each year level also has a Facebook group for families to join which are managed by our class representatives. These groups are a great way to keep in contact with other families in your child's year level and can be found here.

Welcome to Mass everyone and a big welcome to all new parishioners and visitors to our

Parish of St Luke, Woodvale.

If you are new to our parish, we invite you to complete the Visitors' Book in the foyer.

Fr Stan would also love to meet you, so please introduce yourself at school or after Mass. You are welcome to visit the pastoral office on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9.30am—2.30pm.

For more information about our wonderful St Luke's Parish and to read the current

Bulletin please click here.

Children's Liturgy will be held most Sundays during the school term. All children are welcome to attend as part of the 9:30am mass at St Luke's Parish.

The liturgy is conducted in the church hall for the first 20-30 minutes of mass. After the sermon, children will rejoin their families.

Last week at 24:7 Woodvale we had a night full of fun with our holiday event. The event was themed “mini games” which consisted of 5 mini games spread throughout the room for the youth to go around and attempt to get the high score. There was plenty of time for everyone to try each one. We also had group games in between. Finally we had a toilet paper model competition! We split off into 4 groups, each group having to nominate someone to be wrapped in a toilet paper costume to match the theme. At the end of the night, we had prayer circle, food and fellowship. We also gave out more prizes for the winners of our mini games. It was such a blast and we are looking forward to our next Woodvale evening.

God Bless, Trinity & Michael

24:7 Woodvale Youth Ministers

Dear Year 4 Parents and Guardians,

Sacred Heart College warmly invites you to express interest in Year 7 2027 enrolment.

The Year 7 2027 enrolment process commences in mid-January 2025. To ensure you are invited to complete an application for your child and for a tour of the College, we strongly recommend completing an Expression of Interest (EOI) for each child by the end of Year 4. The EOI has an $85 non-refundable fee. To commence an EOI please click here.

For more information regarding our enrolments policy, please click here to view our website.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact College Registrar Niki Jenkins on 08 9246 8283 or registrar@sacredheart.wa.edu.au.

Kind regards,

Niki Jenkins

College Registrar & Alumni Coordinator