The Balance of Play and Intentional Teaching in the Early Years
At St Denis, our early years program is built on a strong foundation of evidence-based practice that reflects the National Quality Standard, reminding us of the importance of balancing child-initiated play with intentional teaching. This balance ensures that learning is both meaningful and responsive to children’s interests, while also guided by purposeful, educator-led experiences.
Throughout the term, I’ve had the privilege of spending time in our Pre-Kindy and Kindy classrooms, where this balance is beautifully evident. Children are deeply engaged in rich, open-ended play that supports their imagination, social development, and problem-solving skills. At the same time, our skilled educators thoughtfully plan and extend learning through intentional interactions - scaffolding language, introducing new concepts, and observing each child’s unique developmental journey.
It’s inspiring to see how this approach honours the whole child, supporting both their agency and their growth across all learning areas. I love the confidence in which the children call out, “Mrs Potts….” And engage in conversation about what they are doing and how enthusiastic they are about this. When play and intentional teaching work hand-in-hand, children flourish.
Baby Joy x 2!
We are absolutely thrilled to share some joyful news from our staffroom - our wonderful Year 3 teacher, Mrs Uchanski, and our amazing Auslan teacher, Mrs Watkins, are both expecting little bundles of joy in Term 4!
We couldn’t be happier for them and look forward to hearing about this exciting new chapter in their lives. There will certainly be plenty of baby talk and anticipation (suggestion of names and essential baby items) in the months ahead. Congratulations, Mrs Uchanski and Mrs Watkins, the St Denis community will keep you and your families in our prayers! 💛👶✨
LifeLink Day 2025
Last week I had the pleasure of attending LifeLink Day alongside our Assistant Principal Mrs B and two Year 6 students, Ariana and Jackson. LifeLink Day is both an educational and fundraising initiative that encourages young people across Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Perth to learn more about the real and ongoing needs within our community. It also highlights how our Church, through various LifeLink agencies, provides practical and compassionate support to those experiencing hardship. It was a wonderful experience to hear the Archbishop speak so passionately about the importance of reaching out to others and living the Gospel message through action. His words served as a powerful reminder of the difference we can make when we show empathy and generosity.
Following the formalities, we enjoyed a lovely morning tea with students and staff from other schools, sharing reflections on how we can continue to support LifeLink's mission in our own school communities. Our students represented our beautiful school so well and even complimented me on my ‘safe’ driving skills. LifeLink Day is a valuable opportunity for our students to grow in both understanding and compassion, and we look forward to continuing our support for this important initiative.
Honouring Our Foundations
On the pupil free day last week, our staff had the opportunity to engage in a rich professional development session that invited us to reconnect with the story of our school and the charisms of our founders—the Mercy and Servite orders. Led by Diana Alteri, director of Mission at CEWA, we explored the values and vision that have shaped St Denis School and continue to guide us today.
Over the past twelve months, our staff have been thoughtfully revisiting our mission and values to ensure they reflect both our heritage and our hopes for the future. As part of this ongoing process, we are excited to form a working party next term made up of current students, our School Advisory Council, ex-Principals, and former students. This group will help us review and rename our school factions in a way that more closely aligns with our founders’ legacy.
We look forward to sharing more about this important work early next term.
Evacuation Drill
Today all students from Kindy to Year 6 will participate in an evacuation drill. These drills are an important part of ensuring our school community is prepared in the unlikely event of an emergency.
Teachers will speak with their classes beforehand to explain the purpose of the drill and what to expect. Students will practice safely exiting their classrooms, moving to the designated evacuation area, and following our school’s evacuation procedures calmly and responsibly.
We appreciate your support in helping our students understand the importance of these safety routines.
Warm regards,
Sarah Potts
PRINCIPAL
