St Luke's Catholic Primary

Welcome back to the new school year after what I hope has been a relaxing and enjoyable break with family and friends. The students have all settled in, and we all look forward to working in partnership with you to provide a Christ-centred and child-focused education for your children.

Perfect weather for Evening on the Green last Friday, coupled with our very own ‘Dad’ll Do’ Band meant for an enjoyable night for all who were able to attend. Thank you to Drew, Reece, Nathan and Cristian for sharing your talent and entertaining us.

This morning, we had a whole school Mass to celebrate the new school year. It is important as Catholic School that we partake in the Sacrament of Eucharist as we know that Sacraments are doors to the sacred.

This year we have seen little staff change which is a very positive reflection on the school. This enables our year level teachers to build on the teaching pedagogy in a safe and supportive partnership from year to year. We warmly welcome the following staff members:

• Tracy Turpin (Term 1) replacing Elise Andreou who has joined the police force
• Erin Lister who returns from parental leave and is working Mondays and Tuesdays
• Danielle Harman PP replacing Emily Gauci who is on LWOP for 2025
• Tania D’Angelo is also on leave this year to complete her studies
• Suzanne Holland in TSH replacing Jenny Giddy.

We are thrilled to congratulate Mrs. Natalie Vennitti and her husband Michael on the arrival of their beautiful son, Oliver Lewis Vennitti. The family are currently enjoying their time in the newborn bubble, with Elsie acting as a very proud big sister! We wish them all the very best as they embrace this special new chapter. May this time be filled with love, joy, and precious moments together!

Over the holiday break there were many projects completed across the school which included:

• New paving and drainage outside TSH, Years 3 & 4
• Removal of roller doors and lining and painting of the ceiling and beams in Undercover Area
• Painting, new blinds and lights in the Years 3 & 4 classrooms
• New flooring PP & Library office
• Upgrade to staff toilets, thanks to the generosity of the Terribile family
• Refurbishment of the sports office to create a new working space for TSH
• New PP fencing
• All playground sand combed and equipment varnished & refreshed
• Relocation of Science Room
• Painting and upgrade of previous Science Room into a new Year 3 classroom
• Painting of many external doors.

Our appreciation to Sarah Williams, Neville Hogan & Craig Day who coordinated these projects.

After a two year transition we have now fully moved to the new uniform. Our school uniform policy aligns with that of both Sacred Heart and Mater Dei, where most our students attend Secondary School. A huge thank you to all the families who have ensured that their children are wearing the correct uniform. There are several students still wearing coloured sports shoes. We ask that these are replaced by predominately black or white as soon as they grow out of their current shoes. Please make yourselves familiar with the policy on our website:

https://www.stlukeswoodvale.wa.edu.au/uniforms

It was wonderful to see so many parents in attendance at the meetings on Tuesday evening. This was an opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and get an outline of expectations for the year.

We know that clear communication between school and home is critical for a successful partnership. Please read the fortnightly memos and keep abreast of information on the school calendar as this may change.

As part of their EBA teachers are not required to initiate or respond to electronic communication from school staff, parents or community members outside of work hours or when not on site. If you have an important or urgent message to get to your child, please phone the school office as teachers may not check their email during the day.

The value of homework in primary school is one topic which parents, staff and students all have an opinion on. We know that families are time-poor and that children are often engaged in many activities outside of school. In response to the many demands on parents and current research, as a staff, we have decided to move away from worksheets and trial a more effective approach to homework in Term 1. This will provide teachers with greater preparation time for lessons and feedback on student work. It is hoped it will also be welcomed by families.

Current research in this space indicates that homework in primary schools has a minimal effect on student achievement. John Hattie’s research and meta-analysis of many studies in education found that in primary schools, homework had an effect size of approximately 0.15. However, for secondary students, the effect size increases to 0.64, suggesting a more significant impact.

Hattie uses the term 'effect size' to measure the impact of a particular intervention or teaching strategy on student learning. The difference in achievement between a group receiving the intervention and a control group is expressed as a standardised score which allows for comparisons across different studies. A positive effect size of 0.4 or above is considered to have a significant impact on student learning.

As a staff we believe that in primary school it is essential to focus on foundational skills like reading and times tables to ensure instant recall as these skills are crucial for academic success and can be developed through consistent practice and engaging activities.

PP – Yr 5 Homework for this trial period will encompass maintaining a routine that includes reading, practicing times tables and maybe playing a maths game. Specific additional homework to meet individual needs will be at the teacher’s discretion.

Yr 6 In preparation for secondary school, Year 6 students will be encouraged to complete assigned work, learn their times tables, read daily and study for upcoming assessments. This approach helps build effective study habits and time management skills, which are vital to navigate future academic challenges and experience success, providing a strong foundation for the transition to secondary education.

This will be reviewed at the end of Term 1.

Fr Stan has requested that before school parents do not park in the ‘Reserved Seniors Parking’ bays near the church. These bays are reserved for the parishioners who attend daily Mass.

In 2025, in line with Catholic Education WA, we will focus on Laudato Si, Pope Francis’ encyclical on Care for our Common Home. Our aim is to all become more aware for the need to look after our planet and its people.

God Bless

Kerry Hewitson

Principal

We are excited to welcome all our families, old and new, back to school for a fun-filled 2025! To help you navigate the school year and become familiar with our policies and procedures, we encourage you to visit our website and read through our Parent Handbooks. These handbooks offer valuable information on school expectations, important dates, and available resources. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us, we’re here to assist you!

There are several mandated assessments for students in the early year which will be completed over the next couple of weeks. The information gained from these one-on-one assessments is extremely valuable to the teachers and enables them to plan according to the needs of the children.

Other classes complete standardised tests at the beginning and end of the year. Information gained from all these assessments is used to inform our teaching.

We would like to remind you that if a student brings a mobile phone to school, it must be left at the office on silent for the duration of the school day. Phones should not be kept in the student’s bag or locker. To ensure a focused learning environment, students are not permitted to make or receive calls or messages during school hours, including through devices such as Apple Watches or iPads. Should a student need to make a call, it must be done through the Administration office. We appreciate your support in maintaining a distraction-free school environment.

For further information please see our ICT Policy on our website here.

A reminder to families of children receiving a sacrament this year that completed enrolment forms need to be handed to your child's classroom teacher by Wednesday 19th February.

Students are also asked to attend one of the Sacramental Commitment Masses, either Saturday 22nd February at 6:00pm or Sunday 23rd February at 9:30am.

This year, NAPLAN will take place between Wednesday 12th - Monday 24th March. Further information will be sent to families in Years 3 & 5 in the coming weeks.

At St Luke's our hands-on math activities are designed to engage students in deep thinking and encourage problem-solving. Through interactive tasks, students develop a strong understanding of numeracy concepts. These activities not only reinforce key math skills but also foster critical thinking. By applying their learning in real-world contexts, our students are challenged to think creatively, reason logically and become confident problem-solvers.

Our Community Calendar is available via an Outlook calendar. As always, the calendar is updated live here on our website. You can download this calendar to your personal device for your convenience.

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!

Sarah Williams & Kristy Graffin

Assistant Principals

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 3

Tuesday 18th February

• School Advisory Council Meeting- 6:00pm
• P&F Meeting- 7:30pm (in Library)

Wednesday 19th February

• Sacramental Forms Due (Years 3, 4 and 6)

Thursday 20th February

• Year 5/6 Attend Parish Mass- 9:00am

Friday 21st February

• Merit Award Assembly- 2:20pm
• Fathering Group Welcome Drinks- 6:30pm

Saturday 22nd February

• Sacramental Commitment Mass- 6:00pm

Sunday 23rd February

• Sacramental Commitment Mass- 9:30am

Week 4

Tuesday 25th February

• Sacramental Parent Information Night- 6pm (Church)

Friday 28th February

• McSweeney Day

Sunday 2nd March

• Family Mass- Project Compassion- 9:30am

Week 5

Monday 3rd March

• Labour Day Public Holiday

Wednesday 5th March

• Ash Wednesday Whole School Mass- 9:00am

Week 6

Wednesday 12th March

• NAPLAN Testing Window Commences (Years 3 & 5)

Friday 14th March

• Merit Award Assembly- 2:20pm

Week 7

Monday 17th March

• St Patrick's Day

Tuesday 18th March

• School Advisory Council Meeting- 6:00pm
• P&F Meeting- 7:30pm

Friday 21st March

• Harmony Day
• Swimming Carnival (Years 4-6)
• Fathering Group School Sleep Out

Last year's Student Survey showed that the children felt having a wellness dog had a very positive impact on their time at school. Their request was to have more time with her. We are thrilled to announce that Lulu will be joining us for class library days. We have now had our first library session with each year group and all the children (as well as Lulu) have enjoyed the pats and cuddles.

Lulu is a 4 year old Labradoodle and has been at St Luke’s since she was 8 weeks old. She is well versed in tight squeezes, overly enthusiastic pats, pulled tails and accidental bumps or knocks. Please rest assured the children are perfectly safe around her. If you have a child who is scared of dogs, Lulu excels at making even the most nervous child fall in love with her within a couple of visits!

You will find Lulu in the Library on Mondays & Fridays, promoting a love of books and reading! Once she settles into her new role, she will resume her classroom visits on Thursdays as well. You will also bump into her around the grounds before and after school and the children play with her at recess and lunchtimes. Please feel free to find her for a pat! She also has a family-friendly Instagram account, @luluthestlukesdog showing all the things she gets up to at St Luke’s!

Please mark your calendars for some important dates:

• HIIT Club (Wednesday mornings) and Running Club (Friday mornings) starting in Week Two
• Faction Swimming Carnival (Y4-6): Friday, 21st March at Beatty Park
• Interschool Swimming Carnival: Friday, 4th April at HBF Stadium, Mt Claremont

Emily Rasmussen

Physical Education Specialist

Dear Parents and Carers,

My name is Ann Peart and I am the social worker at St Luke's Catholic Primary. I hope your child/children are settling into the new school year. It is very normal for children to experience mixed emotions in the first days and weeks of school. Parents can ease fears and anxieties by helping children in various ways. For example:

• Naming their feelings
• Validating how they feel whilst remaining positive that they will overcome them as they get to know their teacher
• Settling into new routines
• Developing friendships

I work at St Luke's on Monday and Thursday each week. This is a free, confidential service for students and families in our school community. From time to time, children face challenges and changes in their lives that can affect their emotions, behaviour, friendships and learning. My role is to provide support during tumultuous times. This support is given through counselling or by referring to appropriate professionals in the community.

If at any time during the year you have concerns about your child, please discuss this with their class teacher or contact me directly by email ann.peart@cewa.edu.au. As I work at another school, please let me know your child's name, year level and that they attend St Luke's as well as your contact number.

Best wishes for the year ahead.

Kind regards,

Ann Peart

School Social Worker

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 happenings 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.

Thank you to all of the families and staff who attended the Evening on the Green last Friday night. It was a wonderful opportunity to welcome our new families to our school community. We hope you all enjoyed yourselves!

Today was the first day for school lunches. We require 4 helpers for about half an hour every Thursday. If you are available to spare some time, we would greatly appreciate your help. Here is the sign up link for PP- Year 6 https://signup.com/go/PHiJSLR. The roster is available for the whole year so please add your name when it suits. We can't do it without your help!

Here is a list of the class representatives for 2025:

• Prekindy: Jes Boi and Ysa Nunez-Uy
• Kindy: Lisa Bolan and Maddie Guggisberg
• Preprimary: Sarah Princiotto and Krystal Pope
• Year 1: Hayley Pike and Paula Vella
• Year 2: Caley Hensworth and Tiffany Dojkovski
• Year 3: Rebecca Stevanoski, Joanne Rowe, Laura Hodgen and Noreen White
• Year 4: Chrissy Norman and Amanda Wesley
• Year 5: Nicole Mills and Lucy Anderson
• Year 6: Kathryn Peake and Renee Clark

Thank you to these parents who have stepped up to represent their year group for 2025. We are grateful for your support!

Our first meeting of the year is coming up! We look forward to seeing you there. Here are all the P&F meeting dates for 2025. Mark your calendars, all are welcome!

🌟🌟 Congratulations to Blaise Rego for receiving a Meritorious Award (Ambulance Service Medal) in the Australia Day Honors! Blaise is an integral part of our school's Fathering Group. 🌟🌟

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 jasmine.calley@cewa.edu.au

CEWA has provided schools with a new directive regarding External Service Providers visiting the school. Parents who would like to make a request will need to complete the 'Request to School for Third Party Clinical Access' form which is available here on our website (scroll to the bottom of the page). Completed forms need to be emailed to admin@stlukeswoodvale.wa.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.

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 on the following dates in Term One:

9/2/25 Children's Liturgy

16/2/25 Children's Liturgy

23/2/25 Sacrament Commitment Mass (No Children’s Liturgy)

2/3/25 Family Mass (No Children’s Liturgy)

9/3/25 Children's Liturgy

16/3/25 Children's Liturgy

23/3/25 Children's Liturgy

30/3/25 Children's Liturgy

6/4/25 Children's Liturgy

13/4/25 PALM SUNDAY (No Children’s Liturgy)

Look no further than the Australian Girls Choir (AGC) because we encourage, challenge and inspire girls as they learn to sing, dance and perform.

School aged girls are invited to come along to our February Open Day to try our fun and inclusive class and learn more about being part of the AGC! Please visit our website to register to attend our free Open Day: ausgirlschoir.com.au/joinagc