St Jude’s Catholic Primary School

What a way to end the term. The weather was amazing and the students had an absolute blast as they were splashed with slime and colour, doused with water and made foam angels in our foam pit made from the industrial foam machine. At the conclusion of the event, our highest fundraisers took much delight in sliming their teachers. This year’s Colour SplatacularTM run brought a smile to everyone’s face!

What an afternoon! Following on from our annual Edu-Dance concert, students from across the school showcased the fantastic work happening in their classes with our 2024 Open Night. Parents and students filled the classrooms as they participated in a special ‘Open Afternoon Amazing Race’ where students found clues along the way and entered the draw to win a special prize! The quality of work from across the school was amazing and the classrooms looked outstanding! Well done to all the students on their efforts across the term.

Students from Pre Primary to Year 6 have been working tirelessly throughout the term in preparation for our annual Edu-Dance concert. It was such an entertaining afternoon as students from across the school moved and grooved to the rhythms of their specially chosen Edu-Dance song. It was awesome to see the turnout from the many parents and friends that came to watch one of our biggest events of the year.

Our St Jude’s Athletics Carnival in Term 3 was a fantastic day filled with excitement and camaraderie. Students from Pre Primary to Year 6 participated in various games and races, cheering on their factions with great enthusiasm. The event showcased outstanding sportsmanship and community spirit, as families joined in to support their children and enjoy the festivities. This year, Foley claimed the top spot on the leaderboard, securing a well-deserved victory. Congratulations to all participants for making the day a success!

Our school community celebrated Father’s Day with a heartwarming breakfast, bringing together children and their fathers for a morning of connection and joy. The event highlighted the importance of father figures in our lives and created cherished memories for everyone involved. Thank you to all who attended and contributed to making this Father’s Day breakfast a memorable occasion for our school community!

Our school’s Book Week celebration was a fun-filled day, starting with a lively book parade where students dressed up as their favourite book characters. The costumes were creative and showcased a love for reading across all year levels. The day concluded with an exciting incursion from ‘Perform Education,’ who delivered an engaging performance that brought stories to life and inspired a deeper appreciation for books. It was a wonderful celebration of literature, imagination, and the joy of reading!

Congratulations to all our candidates on receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation! Today, many of our students were fully initiated into the Catholic Church as they received the seven gifts and nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. They were reminded to use these gifts daily, living their faith by spreading God’s love and following Jesus’ example in all they do. This special day marks an important step in their faith journey, empowering them to live out their Christian mission in the world.

Our school choir had the incredible opportunity to participate in this year’s ‘One Big Voice’ festival at the Perth Arena. Joining voices with thousands of other young students from across the state, they performed a range of inspiring and uplifting songs. The event fostered unity, joy, and creativity, as our students proudly represented our school. It was a memorable experience, not only for the choir members but for all who attended, as they celebrated the power of music and community.

This year’s NAIDOC Week celebration at our school began with a beautiful liturgy, acknowledging and honoring the rich culture and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Students and staff gathered in prayer, reflecting on the significance of this year’s theme. The highlight of the day was a special incursion from the Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company, who performed “Boodjar Kaatijin,” an engaging and educational performance that deepened our understanding of Country, culture, and connection to the land.

Our school recently demonstrated its commitment to social-emotional wellbeing by hosting a successful ‘Festival of Friendship’ where students and staff came together for a full day of activities on the Feast of Mary of the Cross. The event placed relationships at the centre of learning as students took part in an online workshop, team building and activities centred on strengthening relationships and communication. Whether through games, group activities, or open discussions, the day highlighted the importance of friendship in fostering a supportive, thriving school environment.

A number of our students received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time this week. This is an important Sacrament in the faith life of our students and focuses on the ability to make good moral choices and building strong relationships with others. This Sacrament also reminds us that we all make mistakes and the importance of restoring relationships when we make wrong choices.

Students from our Year 3 class, joined together with students throughout our school and afterschool classes who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation later in the term. Students took part in a day of retreat held at our school. During the day, students revisited parables about forgiveness and took part in some creative story telling. Students were led through a most beautiful day of prayer and reflection as they took part in a number of activities centred around the Sacrament of Reconciliation, from making a ‘Reconciliation’ treasure chest to creating some beautiful mosaic crosses.

Students from across the school had a blast as they danced the night away at our Term 2 School Disco. Our Kindy to Year 1 students attended our earlier time slot and our Year 2 – Year 6 students took part in a later time slot. During the night, there were several competitions from best dancer, to musical bobs and four corners. Even our teachers had a little boogie on the dance floor. A huge thank goes to our FOSJ for organising such an awesome event!

This week, our Year 4-6 students took part in an Interschool Lightning Carnival comprising of Football, Soccer and Netball. All students represented the school with pride and demonstrated great sportsmanship. It was great to see the marked improvement in skill during the term as students took part in training. Celebrations were had as our Year 6 netball team finished on top and took out the shield, while our Soccer team finished in 3rd place overall. Well done to all our students!

One of our Catholic Social Teachings remind us of the importance to help those in need. Students took part in our annual Crazy Hair, Pyjama and Rice Day this week. During the day, students were reminded of those without food or those in the world that live on only one bowl of rice a day if they are lucky. Grumbling tummies were a reminder of this throughout the day. All money raised will go towards helping those in need in our local communities through our LifeLink agencies.

This week around 54 students, along with their families and a dozen staff starting the day with a bit of fitness as part of ‘Walk to School Day’. The 15 minute journey from the SDNA Netball Courts to school was a great start to the day with each student participating receiving a special ‘Walk to School’ day sticker. This day was about raising awareness of our transport habits and trying to incorporate more walking as part of a healthy, active way to get around.

Our school was fortunate enough to take part in this year’s ‘Act Belong Commit Sing out Loud!’ Incursion which was run by the West Australian Opera. The students had a great time as they explored pitch, tempo, rhythm, dynamics and form with singers from the WA Orchestra. Students raised the roof as they sang along with our opera singers and practised some of the skills learnt during the incursion.

What a wonderful way to celebrate our Mothers and Mother figures at our school. We began the day coming together to celebrate Mass. This was followed by a special morning tea where all attendees received a special flower and candle. Our Pastoral Committee did a fantastic job ensuring that all our Mums and mother figures were looked after. It was great to see the amount of Mother’s, Grandmum’s and mother figures attend our special morning tea. Thank you to all who organised and helped with the preparation for the day!

It was wonderful to welcome our students and families to this afternoon of fun and laughter as they navigated through a variety of activities which included games such as Tug-O-War, Coights, Rob the Nest, Whacky Egg and Spoon and Plumbing Disaster. Students and their families had a ball as they were chased by eagles as they protected their nest in ‘Rob the Nest’ and raced to fill their leaky pipes in ‘Plumbing Disaster’. It was great to see such a wonderful turn out to our first community event for Term Two. Thank you to our Friends of St Jude’s for supplying our afternoon snack packs.

Our Year 6 leaders led us in a most reverent tableau titled ‘By the Cross’, retelling the final events in the life of Jesus. This year, the tableau not only featured the children’s portrayal but also included reflections from both child and adult perspectives. This added depth to the performance, inviting the audience to engage with the story on multiple levels. Moreover, the re-enactment embedded the teachings of the school’s “Making Jesus Real” program, reinforcing the values of compassion, forgiveness, and selflessness.

Students took part in a 3 Day camp in the beautiful surrounds of Nanga Bush Camp in Dwellingup. The camp begun with a liturgy centred around ‘talents and gifts’ which linked in well with the classes RE Unit on ‘Vocations’. This theme was then linked in with ‘leadership’. While there, students participated in a number of activities centred around teamwork and leadership while other activities encouraged students to take risks and challenge themselves!

Raising money for Caritas (Project Compassion), students took part in a 4km Project Compassion Walkathon around the school! Organised by the Year 6 Pastoral Committee with the special ‘blue’ theme chosen this year, the event started with a special presentation about Caritas and included an explanation outlining the purpose of the event and where the funds raised would be going. It was wonderful to see so many families offer to help out during the day which assisted immensely in the success of the day. The vibe was great as students and staff completed each lap.

What a day! Students from across the school took part in our Harmony Day celebrations today. We began the day with a special liturgy centred around belonging and loving your neighbour. This was followed by cultural activities throughout the day centred on the cultures of the students in each classroom. Adding to the festivities was a ‘Bollywood Dance’ incursion which had everyone up and dancing as students learnt a number of Bollywood dance routines.