Emmaus Catholic Primary School

All Saints Prayer

Lord,
as the saints in Heaven adore You for eternity,
I beg for their intercession.
Saints of God, please come to my aide.
Pray for me and bring to me the grace I need,
to live a holy life in imitation of your own lives.
All saints of God, pray for us.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Amen.

I am currently writing this newsletter from my little dorm at the Year 5/6 Camp. My watch is showing 11:13 pm and the last of the chatting and laughing has ceased…the boys are sleeping!!! (I think!)

This is our first camp that we have held for our senior students and what a great benchmark these students have put in place.

I have been so proud of the way the students have participated in all activities. Students have been challenged with some of the activities that have been presented to them, but they have given it a go. Most if not all, surprising themselves and alleviating their fears for certain activities.

We have also had a couple of students enter the ocean for the first time. They loved it!

Don’t worry, it wasn’t at a great depth and yes, we did have bronze medallion representatives at the beach with us. The kids loved this!

I must congratulate all our students for their behaviour and spirit throughout the whole camp. They have been superb! As a principal and teacher, we get great satisfaction when presenters or guides give us positive feedback on our students. This week this has been so consistent, which is a credit to the students.

I must also thank Miss Cameron for the great organisation and planning for this year’s camp. It has gone to clockwork! Congratulations Kate, what a great effort and thank you!

Many thanks to Mrs Armstrong who volunteered herself to supervise and attend the camp as well. It is comforting to have someone with Mrs Armstrong’s experience of such events. A big thank you also to Mr Armstrong for volunteering as the bus driver and giving some time to assist at the camp.

To both our Year 5/6 educators, a heartfelt thanks also for being away from your families, who no doubt have missed you being away from home, to help make some life lasting memories for our students.

In the Christian church, All Saints Day is a day commemorating all the saints of the church, both known and unknown, who have attained heaven. It is celebrated on 1 November in the Western churches and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Eastern churches. In Roman Catholicism, the feast is usually a holy day of obligation. It is part of the three-day triduum dedicated to remembering the dead, beginning with Halloween (31 October), as some families have just observed, and followed by All Saints’ Day (1 November) and All Souls’ Day (2 November).

Some people think that Halloween originated in America, however, the thousand-year-old history of Halloween has roots in the Celtic harvest festival of Samhain, which was observed in ancient Britain and Ireland on 1 November.

The origin of All Saints’ Day cannot be traced with certainty, however, the first evidence for the 1 November date of celebration and of the broadening of the festival to include all saints as well as all martyrs occurred during the reign of Pope Gregory III (731–741), who dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s, Rome, on 1 November in honour of all saints. From this date onwards All Saints Day was kept on 1 November, and it also appeared in a 9th-century English calendar on that day. It was Pope Gregory IV in 837 who ordered its general observance.

In medieval England the festival was known as All Hallows, and its eve is still known as Halloween. The period from 31 October to 2 November (All Souls’ Day) is sometimes also known as Allhallowtide.

While we observe All Saint’s Day today, tomorrow, I will be one of many millions of people visiting loved one’s graves remembering them and praying for them.

Please remember all your loved ones who have left this earth that they are resting in peace.

Over the last few weeks Mrs Hackner and I have had an increased number of emails directed to us in relation to a variety of issues. Some have been for information on upcoming events which has already been sent home, or issues concerning their children and so forth. Could all parents/caregivers, please approach the class teacher first for any query. Attached below is a table outlining a procedure that the school follows for these issues.

Parents you would be aware that we also have a Code of Conduct for all stakeholders in our school community. (This is the case for every Catholic school within our system). I encourage all parents to please revisit this Code of Conduct and adhere to this for the safety and wellbeing of our students. Negative talk and gossip about teachers amongst parents (whether in the school grounds, on chat forums and social media, or even at a child’s birthday party!) is included as a breach of the Code of Conduct. I am hearing that some may not be adhering to this Code and I have had a discussion with a couple of parents in relation to this to remind them of the Code’s statements. I urge parents to be familiar with these expectations and ask all parents to please work with us for the safety and wellbeing of our students and school community at large. The Code of Conduct is attached below.

This week, our Year 5 and 6 students embarked on an exciting journey as they attended the very first Emmaus Catholic Primary School Camp at Ern Halliday Recreation Camp! The students eagerly participated in a wide range of activities, creating unforgettable memories.

Throughout the camp, students had the chance to try their hand at archery, where many discovered their inner Robin Hood! Team-building exercises on the beach encouraged collaboration and fun as well as lots of swimming, while the flying fox and big swing provided thrilling moments that challenged everyone to conquer their fears.

One of the highlights was the “Escape the Night” activity, which tested their problem-solving skills and teamwork under the stars. Movie night offered a cozy way to unwind after a couple of very busy days, and adventurous spirits were put to the test during caving explorations.

Our campers also engaged in icebreaker games to help everyone get to know each other even better and enjoyed spirited competitions in ultimate sports and “Minute to Win It” challenges. It was inspiring to see so many students stepping outside their comfort zones and embracing new experiences.

Overall, the camp was a fantastic opportunity for our Year 5 and 6 students to learn, grow, and make lasting memories together. We are so proud of their enthusiasm and bravery throughout this adventure!

Miss Kate Cameron

Year 5/6 Teacher

From planting seeds in Week 1, which we have excitedly watched sprout, to the fun continuing in Week 2 and 3, Science Week has been an extended blast at Emmaus!

Buddy Classes participated in a Nature Scavenger Hunt, exploring our school environment with a new appreciation. And our Staff v Student STEM Challenge had a new flair this year. Running at last week’s assembly, parents got involved too, and for all accounts it was a lot of laughs and fun! Teams were challenged with creating the largest paper cup stack using an elastic band and string, if your hands touched the cups you were disqualified. Teachers were crowned champions for a 2nd year in a row, due to a strategically dropped cup making their stack that finger-nail tip higher! Well done Teachers!

Thank you to everyone who participated in Science Week at Emmaus, I look forward to growing the celebrations next year.

Mrs Stephanie Freeman

Science Teacher and Sustainability Coordinator

On Thursday 24 October, we were lucky enough to have fresh bananas, apples and mandarins from Benara Fresh donated by our wonderful P&F Committee for all the students to enjoy for their Crunch’n’Sip. A huge thank you to the P&F for always supporting our Wellbeing initiatives!

Did you know?

• Bananas are the best fruit source of Vitamin B6, which influences brain processes and development!
• Apples are rich in fibre and antioxidants so eating them can lower many health risks!
• Mandarins are an excellent source of Vitamin C, which is a key nutrient for immune function and also healing wounds!

Miss Kate Cameron

Wellbeing Coordinator

Don't forget that swimming lessons for all Pre-Primary to Year 6 students commence on Monday 4 November to Friday 8 November.

Lesson times:

10:45 am - 11:45 am - Year 3 & Year 5/6
11:50 am - 12:50 pm - Year 1 & Year 2
12:55 pm - 1:55 pm - Pre-Primary & Year 4

Swimming items:

Students will need:

• bathers
• towel
• slip on shoes
• goggles
• swimming bag
• spare underwear for changing

Transport:

Students will be traveling by bus to and from the venue.

Uniform:

Students are allowed to wear their Sports Uniform for the week to make it easier when changing. Please ensure all items of clothes are clearly labelled to minimise the risk of lost clothing. Particularly for younger students, please use the next week to practise getting dressed and undressed to make the process at school easier.

Bathers:

Students will need to wear bathers that are appropriate for Swimming Lessons and allow students to move freely. Students are to wear bathers to school under their uniform, please consider the practicality for them to use the toilet. Students will change back into their Sports Uniform when they arrive back at school.

Recess/Lunch time:

Some lessons cross over recess and lunch time, teachers will ensure students are given the time to have both breaks at a time that suits the altered timetable.

If your child has passed a swimming level since completing enrolment please contact me on rebecca.bol@cewa.edu.au so that their level can be updated. During the lesson week, should you have any concerns or questions please direct them to me.

Mrs Rebecca Bol

Physical Education Teacher

Due to swimming lessons in Week 5, movement of various classes over the usual lunch period and changed break times, parents from Pre-Primary to Year 6 are requested to provide meals for their children for all days next week. There will be no Pasta in the Valley lunch orders next week.

The very first Emmaus Colour Run will be held on Wednesday 13 November. It promises to be a fun afternoon with children enjoying slime, bubbles and big douses of colour. For your child to participate, you MUST HAVE THEM REGISTERED even if your family does not intend to fundraise. Registration closes on Wednesday 6 November. You can sign your child up here: Emmaus Colour Run Registration

Please note: Students not registered will be sitting on the sidelines watching the others in the Colour Run.

For those registered:

Time: Colour Run is between 2 -3pm on the school oval.

Wear to school: white shirt, casual shorts, old sneakers (no thongs), any hat (no school hat). Students participating in the colour run can wear these items to school (no usual uniform).

What to bring: towel and clean clothes to change into after the colour run.

Once again our school community will be participating in the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal, supporting those in the Guildford precinct. Our students have been fortunate to have Mr Viv D’Almeida previously explain the benefits of our contributions to those in need within our community, and Mr D’Almeida will be returning to us with Christmas Appeal news in a few days. A letter will soon come home to all children with further information about how your family can contribute with suggestions of items to add to each class hamper. We thank you for your generosity.

Saturday 2 November

- All Souls Day

Monday 4 November

- Swimming lessons

Tuesday 5 November

- Swimming lessons

- P&F meeting 6:00 pm

Wednesday 6 November

- Swimming lessons

Thursday 7 November

- Swimming lessons

Friday 8 November

- Swimming lessons

Monday 11 November

- Remembrance Day (Service @ 11:20 am)

- St Vincent de Paul hamper collection commences

Wednesday 13 November

- Colour Run @ 2:00 pm

There will be no school for students on Monday 18 November. OSHClub will be operating their service in our school hall on this day. Should you need care for your child, please book here: OshClub at Emmaus

We invite parents and caregivers to this annual event on Wednesday 20 November.

On Monday 25 November our 4-Year-Old Kindy to Year 6 classes for 2025 will be having their Orientation Day at Emmaus, with a morning session to meet the new teacher and any new students. Please see the flyer below for further information. Note: 2025 3-Year-Old Kindy Orientation will take place in January 2025. Further information will be provided soon.

Thursday 28 November. Students from across Kindy to Year 6 will be performing their showcase of Christmas songs at our outdoor liturgy and concert. Further details to follow.

The next newsletter will be distributed on Friday 15 November.

Have a great weekend.

God bless!

Sandro Coniglio

Principal