Dear Parents and Carers,

Mary Mackillop’s feast day is celebrated on the 8^th of August.  Mary Helen MacKillop RSJ (15 January 1842 – 8 August 1909), now known as St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, was an Australian nun who has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church. Of Scottish descent, she was born in Melbourne, but was best known for her activities in South Australia. Together with Reverend Julian Tenison Woods, she founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (the Josephites), a congregation of religious sisters that established a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia, with an emphasis on education for the rural poor.  She was canonised on 17 October 2010.  Her motto is “Never see a need without doing something about it”.

CEWA Ltd policies are available on our website on the “About” tab where scrolling down will take you to policies.  This will enable you to select CEWA Policies as well as WCPS Procedures.  Our Code of Conduct and Parent/Carer Code of Conduct define behaviours that keep our students safe at school, and elsewhere.  It communicates a set of minimum standards and obligations to ensure that students are at the centre of our school and community decisions and operations.  Children and young people supported by adult and peer behaviours as outlined in the Codes are more likely to recognise and choose healthy relationships for themselves.  For staff, the Code of Conduct is a lawful direction and for families, compliance with the Parent/Carer Code of Conduct is a condition of school entry.  We are fortunate at WCPS that all members of our school advocate for healthy, supportive relationships where we collaborate for the benefit of our youngest members.

Student behaviour at Whitford Catholic Primary School is generally outstanding and children go out of their way to make sure everyone is included and welcomed.  The reason for this positive behaviour is firstly the great example and standards that come from home and then the care and relationships that staff have with students.  Of greater importance is the relationship and communication between home and school.  If your child sees that the school respects the home and that the home respects the school, and that we both have high expectations, they are more likely to aim to achieve these expectations.

Communication between home and school is crucial in ensuring we are focused on achieving the best outcomes for students.  Please ensure that any conversions about children are given adequate attention and that real conversations take place. Before school is a great time to quickly inform the teacher of any issues such as something that has happened before school or if a child has had trouble sleeping the previous night.  If a conversation is more complex than that, please organise a suitable time with the teacher to discuss this further so that the appropriate attention can be given.

This term, we are once again partnering with Edith Cowan University to provide placements for their Speech and Occupational Therapy students. This initiative provides an opportunity for university students to gain practical experiences working with the children at our school. In return, we benefit from speech and occupational therapy intervention that supports our students in the early years.

It is pleasing to see families taking extra care in the carpark pick-up points in the afternoons.  Child safety is the number one priority.  Please see the carpark and drive through map at the following link. Please note that cars exiting the netball court are required to turn left on Barradine Way.

This term, many students are involved in the Spirit of the Arts Festival as well as One Big Voice.  This is an opportunity to perform in a variety of arts, to showcase various talents and to appreciate the talents of others. Thank you to Mrs D’Adamo and Mrs Chapman for their dedication to ensure the students are at their best and to the many staff and families for their support.

All parents, carers and community members are welcome to join us for the Year 1W assembly on Friday morning at 9am and the Assumption of Mary Year 1-6 Mass on Friday 14^th August at 9.00am.

Best wishes and God Bless