Dear Parents, Caregivers and Community Members,
All-loving God, we give you thanks and praise for mothers young and old. We pray for mothers, who give life and count toes, and tend to our every need; May they be blessed with patience and tenderness to care for their families and themselves with great joy. We pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us; May they continue to guide us in strong and gentle ways. We remember mothers who are separated from their children because of war, poverty, or conflict; May they feel the loving embrace of our God who wipes every tear away. We pray for women who are not mothers, but still love and shape us with motherly care and compassion. We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who are no longer with us who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love. Amen
A very special thank you to Suraya and her P&F team for organising a fantastic Mother’s Day morning tea. So much time, planning and effort goes into coordinating events like these; superhuman effort by all involved.
ANZAC Day
As a school community we came together last Friday to commemorate ANZAC Day and to pray for those who have given their lives in wars to protect our country and also for those who are still serving around the world. This was a beautiful occasion, and the students were most respectful throughout the service. Thank you, Mrs Barrett and Mrs Carroll for the organisation and music plus Mr Dom for helping with the setup. A huge thank you to our Year 6 students for leading this ceremony with the readings and singing.
Praying the Rosary – Month of May
The month of May has traditionally been a time when we pray to Mary. The Rosary is often prayed during this time. The Rosary tells of some of the very important events in Mary’s life. Mary’s life begins joyfully, then experiences sorrow and is finally glorious. The Yr6 Communications Team will be leading the Rosary in our school each Wednesday after lunch for the month of May.
We send lots of prayers and blessings to the children in Yr3 as they participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation over the coming weeks at Christ the King Church. We wish the children and their parents the very best! Many thanks in advance to Mrs Seaward and Miss Letizia for preparing the children. Thank you to Mrs Reardon for her support, guidance and help. Thank you, Mrs Darch for creating the certificates and thank you, Mrs Urbano for completing the administrative duties to ensure everything is in readiness for this Sacrament.
Pope Francis passed away on April 21. Pope Francis, born Jorge Maria Bergoglio, became the first non-European pope in centuries, the first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit pope and the first to take the name Francis when he was elected to succeed Pope Benedict XVI in 2013. He was known for his humility, inclusivity and sense of service. Students had the opportunity to participate in a prayer service for Pope Francis last week.
Congratulations to all the children who participated in the Cross Country Carnival earlier today. The children showed true grit running the many laps, so bravo to you all! Thank you, Mrs McLinden and all the staff and parents who helped setup at 7:00am, helped on the course and packed away at the end. Congratulations MacTavish for winning the Cross Country shield this year.
As you know, I will be away from Monday, 12 May, returning Monday, 26 May. Thank you to the many parents who have wished me well as I embark on my Professional Renewal Leave (PRL) next week. Unlike Long Service Leave (LSL), PRL requires active engagement in professional learning.
For my PRL, I’ve chosen to undertake the Cape to Cape Walk – a six-day, 135 km journey from Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. I’ll be walking just over 20 km each day, immersed in the natural beauty of the region while deepening my understanding of its flora, historical significance, and First Nations culture.
My time away coincides with the Margaret River Pro World Surfing League event, which will add another layer of cultural and community learning to the experience.
On my return, I will be submitting a report of at least 800 words and sharing my learning with both staff and students. I’m looking forward to reflecting on and presenting what I’ve gained from this journey—both personally and professionally. Mrs Sabrina Reardon has been appointed Acting Principal in my absence. Sabrina is an outstanding leader, and I know she will have the support of our community.
Our 4 Year Old Kindy enrolments are now FULL for 2026. We will be having a waitlist for the first time in more than a decade. Our PreKindy is also filling fast. Please ensure you enrol now to avoid missing out on an enrolment in our school for PreKindy.
Play-Based Learners
At Christ the King School, we believe in the development of the whole child and that our children must be equipped for the future. We understand that the children of today do not live in the world of yesterday and as such believe in an innovative, curiosity driven education based upon traditional and new pedagogy and understanding.
Christ the King School offers so many exciting opportunities and I encourage students and parents to attend relevant events and to be as involved as possible in the life of the school. Our aspiration, at Christ the King School, is to provide a world-class Catholic school where students and staff flourish.
Early Childhood Education lays the foundation for further schooling and provides the initial interface between home and school in a child’s life. Recognising parents as the first educators of their children, early childhood education seeks to build upon home learning. In establishing programs for young children, it is important to remember that Catholic schooling is intentionally directed to the holistic development of children from within, assisting them to become fully integrated human persons.
Our program:
Recognises, values and builds upon the child’s prior knowledge.
Understands the importance of developing problem solving and thinking strategies through play.
Listens to children and their families, respecting their values, cultures and experiences to provide opportunities which support learning.
Closely observes, describes and records the children’s efforts and achievements by monitoring progress and planning experiences which build on their knowledge, understandings, skills, attitudes and values.
Facilitates a challenging environment which motivates and enriches learning and gives the child the opportunity to experience:
Independence and guidance.
Free choice and direction.
Incidental moments and planned activities.
Child initiated, and teacher navigated.
Individual and group work.
Free inquiry and explicit teaching.
The aims of our Early Childhood Education Program are to encourage children to:
Develop a positive self-image.
Love learning and value their individual learning styles.
Be responsible for their learning.
Build oral language skills.
Respect their own knowledge, background and culture.
Take risks, persist and be self-paced with their learning.
Know, understand and use their personality, talents, and personal ways of being creative.
Learn through problem-based play activities by doing and being actively involved.
Learn through adults and others who scaffold their endeavours.
Respect, value and accept all people.
Experience the joy in the mystery and wonder of the universe through inquiry.
Feel valued and safe.
School Attendance
We want to make sure all children get the best education possible which is why attending school every day is so important. Western Australian law stipulates that all school-aged children must go to and attend school every day. As a school we are required to keep accurate attendance records for all of our students. This includes taking attendance:
In the morning and afternoon for students in PreKindy to Year 6
At every lesson for secondary school students.
Developing the habit of going to school every day is vital so children do not miss out on important Ideas and skills they need for future learning.
The impact on the child’s learning when they continuously miss school is quite significant. We certainly do not want parents sending their child to school when they are unwell. This serves no purpose and can have a detrimental effect on the child, other members of the class and the teacher. However, children who stay home for less legitimate reasons, can be habit forming, as well as impacting on their learning. For example:
Missing half a day of school each week equates to one month of missed learning each year.
The attendance habits set by children when they first start school continue throughout their school life.
If children miss half a day of school each week between Pre-Primary and Year 10, they would miss almost one full year of learning. Learning is cumulative – if children miss a day, it is harder for them to catch up.
You can help by arriving and collecting your children on time; making sure they get nutritious meals and enough sleep; and making appointments with doctors, dentists and specialists after school hours, and making holiday plans during school holidays and not during the school term.
As Principal, I certainly understand that this cannot always be the case, as sometimes you can only get into specialists at certain times and holidays can be a ‘once in a life-time’ opportunity for the child and the family.
If your child is unwell and unable to go to school, let the school know straight away by telephone or by the website. If they miss a day it is important you talk with their teacher to find out how you can help them catch up. If your child cannot attend school because of their mental or physical health, speak to your child’s teacher or make an appointment to speak with me to see what options are available for your child. As the year progresses and we move into the colder months, it is hard to get out of bed and get ready for school. It is important that we remind our children the importance of attending school every day.
Did you know?
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
Food can only be tasted if it is mixed with saliva.
A hardboiled egg will spin. An uncooked or soft boiled egg will not.
There are ‘great things’ happening in our school due to the efforts of so many people; seek to be one of those people in the coming week!
Andrew Kelly
Principal
Premier’s Reading Challenge
Staff Profile