Treat everyone fairly and equally

As Bushfire season approaches in the Summer months, a copy of our Bushfire Plan can be found here on our website - https://www.padcath.wa.edu.au/formsandprocedures

Please check the PCPS community calendar for upcoming and future dates as the calendar is regularly updated https://www.padcath.wa.edu.au/community-calendar

This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week and the final week of Lent. We reflect upon the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, during which palm branches were placed in his path, before his arrest on Holy Thursday, his crucifixion on Good Friday and finally the celebration of our Risen Lord on Easter Sunday.

Next Thursday 27 March at 8.45am in the hall, we come together as a school community to reflect upon the Holy Week events. Parents and family members are very welcome to join us.

Harmony Day is celebrated every year on 21 March. It celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. Harmony Day is about including, respecting and appreciating the stories, traditions and cultures of all people who call Australia home.

Harmony Day provides all Australians, both young and old, with an opportunity to stand against racism, cultural intolerance and hatred.

It is a day where Australia, as a nation, says: “Everyone is welcome. Everyone belongs.” The date of Harmony Day is also the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Yesterday we celebrated Harmony Day at PCPS by wearing the colour orange, the official colour of Harmony Day, showing that we believe in an inclusive Australia where everyone is welcome and everyone belongs. Some children also wore clothes to represent their cultural heritage and they looked sensational!

Our wonderful Year Six leaders led our special assembly where we commenced with acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which our children live and are educated, the Whadjuk Noongar people. The children sang a gorgeous welcome song ‘Wanjoo’ in traditional Aboriginal Noongar language and finished off with singing Sunny Day in Australia.

Together we listened to a book I’m Australian Too by Mem Fox and also enjoyed a gelato during the day as part of Italian language program at PCPS. The staff even celebrated with a cultural lunch!

In class the children explored the cultural groups that make up our school community, completed activities and shared cultural backgrounds with their friends. It is wonderful to see that cultural diversity is valued and celebrated at PCPS.

Big thanks to Mrs Bubnich who co ordinated the assembly and the activities for Harmony week.

It is always wonderful to hear positive feedback from the school community. Thank you to those parents who have chatted with me or one of the Leadership Team recently and/or sent an email about what they love about Padbury CPS. I always love to hear your good news stories!

Your support and praise of the school is very encouraging, thankyou so much. There is a lot to navigate in a school our size!

I must say a big thankyou to all parents for your never-ending commitment and ongoing support with everything. You are sensational!

Term 1 2024 Winners

Fletcher (PPO) – Mercy

Jaxon (PPW) – Compassion

Olivia (1O) – Compassion

Esme (1W) – Hospitality

Bodhi (2O) – Compassion

Isabel (2W) – Compassion

Levi (3O) – Service

Josephine (3W) – Excellence

Georgie (4W) – Mercy

Ariella (4O) – Excellence

Trini (5O) - Hospitality

Oliver (5W) – Service

Mary (6O) -Hospitality

Lucy (6W) - Hospitality

As this is the last newsletter for the term I would like to wish you all a Happy Easter with your families.

Mrs Margaret Williamson

Principal

Our Pre-Kindy (3-Year-Old) is going super strong once again this year with sessions running on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays. Please contact the office and speak with Mrs Ellen to enrol your little one into our exciting PK programme. Click on the following link for further information.

https://www.padcath.wa.edu.au/early-childhood

If you have friends or neighbours who have children who are 3 years old , please talk to them about our exciting Pre-Kindy programme and encourage them to enrol.

Enrolments and interviews are now taking place for Pre Kindy and Kindergarten 2025 and 2026.

Please note that Kindy 2025 is full!

Don’t forget to enrol siblings as some families have missed out.

IF YOU HAVE A BABY ENROL THEM NOW!

If a family would like to place a note in the Pastoral Care section of the newsletter in relation to a birth or death, or if a family would like the whole school community to pray for any special intentions e.g. a family member who is ill, please send a message to let your child’s class teacher or Mrs Ellen at the front office know or send an email to admin@padcath.wa.edu.au

As we approach the end of Lent, we remind everyone to bring in their Project Compassion boxes before the end of next week. We thank everyone for their support and know that you have made a difference to all those less fortunate.

On Sunday 24 March, we commence Holy Week celebrating Palm Sunday. In our final week at school this term, we will be having a Holy Week Assembly on Thursday 28 March at 8.45am. The students will reflect on each of the days in Holy Week recalling each of the events such as Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

Ms Mac Callisto & Mr Peter O'Mara

Assistant Principals

Parents are asked not to park in the staff carparks.

At no time should parents park in the Principal or Assistant Principals clearly marked carpark bays.

At times the Leadership Team may be off site for external meetings and will need their carpark bays vacant upon their return.

At the end of last year, a Uniform Survey was conducted. 90% of those surveyed preferred that the long pants remain for winter and should boys choose to wear shorts in winter then they will need to be the summer shorts. This was considered by the committee and a decision has been made to phase the boys winter shorts out.

At Padbury Catholic Primary School we know that students learn best in an environment that is safe, welcoming and fun! Our Student Code of Conduct helps guide our children.

The staff at PCPS love to recognise children who are displaying our Mercy Values in their daily interactions - Service, Dignity, Compassion, Mercy, Justice, Stewardship, Excellence, Hospitality, by providing them with a Mercy Medal in their faction colour.

The children place their medal in the tube in the amphitheatre and watch their Mercy medals grow over the term.

At the end of each term, the faction with the most medals will win the Medal of Mercy and the whole faction will receive a special reward together.

School photo day is coming! Personalised flyers will be sent home with students next week from Kapture Photography containing your child’s unique codes for ordering school photos online.

KEEP YOUR FLYER SECURE!

The unique codes contained on the flyer will be issued only once

Sibling photos can ONLY be ordered online. There is a physical limit in the school schedule to how many sibling photos can be taken. Once the maximum capacity of sibling orders has been reached, no more sibling orders can be placed.

If maximum capacity is not reached, sibling orders close 12pm midday sharp, one business day prior to the first photo day.

The school or the photographers cannot accept late orders for sibling photography. Please do not ask as your request simply cannot be accommodated

Order your photos up to 10 calendar days after photo day to receive discount photo day prices. Late orders are handled separately to the school delivery and incur a $30 custom service charge.

Kapture offer a money back guarantee for any parent who is not fully satisfied with their photo package. Should you have any queries before or after photo day, please check the FAQ’s on the Kapture website.

We request that students who are displaying signs of respiratory and / or gastrointestinal illnesses do not attend school specifically to be included in their class photo. Having students with communicable illnesses attend the photography venues puts other students, school staff and Kapture staff at risk – especially those that are already immunocompromised. Students who are unable to attend school photo day can book a studio appointment at our Malaga office to be photographed during school holidays. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.

All students will be photographed individually on photo day for school administration records AS WELL as included in their class group presentation available for purchase to all families. Should there be any reason why your child should NOT be included in the photo shoot –please contact the school office.

Ms Mac Callisto & Mr Peter O'Mara

Assistant Principals

Our Junior classes (Yr 1&2) are looking for extra help in the mornings during their Literacy blocks. The teachers have placed rosters up outside their classrooms. If you can assist during the term from 8.30-10.30am, your support would be very much appreciated.

From Year 3 - We have learnt that Harmony Day is a day of peace and respecting everyone.

We thank all the mums that came in to explain their country of origin this week. We really appreciate you coming, we learned a lot about your country. Everyone in the class loved it!

Tomas’ family comes from Argentina and Grace’s family is from Ireland, both their mums came in and spoke to us and showed us great pictures and even some videos of their country. Chiara’s mum came in to talk about Switzerland and Cameron’s Yiayia about Greece.

How lucky are we to have these different nationalities in our school.

Running Club will be returning after the April holidays. Students from all year levels are invited to walk or run every Tuesday morning, weather permitting, on the school oval from 8:00am til 8:20am. Students wishing to attend may wear sports uniform.

Mr John Hignett

Physical Education Teacher

All Masses are held in the Church

Saturday - 8:30am; 6:30pm

Sunday - 8:00am; 9:30am; 11:00am; 5:45pm

Monday to Friday - 7:00am; 9:00am

24:7 Youth Group

For all youth in Years 6 to 12

1st and 3rd Friday @ Parish Hall, 7pm

Call Luke 0401822932 for more information.

Rev Fr Cyprian M Shikokoti - PP

Our Lady of the Mission, Parish Website : www.olm.myparish.net.au