St Kieran Newsletter Term 2, Week 6- 1 June 2023

Principal's Message

Last Sunday we celebrated Pentecost Sunday. 

Spirit of God within us,  
we ask You to help identify  
the gifts that You have given  
separately to each of us.  
Help us to celebrate these gifts  
and to make positive use of them in our daily activities.  

Amen. 

There is a story told of a farmer so down on his luck, that he was forced to accept handouts to survive. Each day, as he looked after his remaining sheep, he worried about his own survival. One day, he was visited by a scientist who sought his permission to test-drill for oil. An arrangement was made and, within a week, a drilling crew arrived. Two days later a huge oil reserve was found. The poverty-stricken farmer was now a millionaire. All along he owned all that oil with its great potential, yet he was unaware of it.  

It could be said that we are somewhat like the farmer. We plod along through our Christian lives unaware of the potential of the Spirit that is available to us, that is lying just below the surface in our minds and hearts. The disciples at the first Pentecost were a group of demoralised people, whose future was uncertain after the death of their inspirational leader. Yet, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, they were transformed into persons with remarkable abilities and courage to take Christ to the people around them and to people in other lands and cultures.  

Pentecost is the Church’s birthday, the day it was gifted with the presence of God through the Holy Spirit. It was the day the Church was given life, the life that is in us as we are entrusted to be the Church today; it is through us that God’s love is distributed throughout the world. The Church is the people of God, united and empowered by God to share God’s love with the world. However, this will occur only if we activate the potential of the Spirit within us.  

Thomas Merton offers us this image when he writes, “God is the lead dancer and the soul is the partner completely attuned to the rhythm and patterns set by the lead dancer. The soul does not lead but neither does she hang limp like a bag of potatoes.”  

“In the parable of the wild goose we find our goose leaving the flying formation to search for food. By good fortune, it found a barnyard filled with good food; it ate and, when full, fell asleep. When it awoke, it heard the sound of geese honking from above. The sound stirred his spirit but the comfort and plenty of the barnyard kept him there.  

The next day he heard the birds in flight; the stirring was there but fainter; again he resisted the calling of his spirit and stayed. A week or so later the birds flew by in “V” formation honking their call in flight; the wild goose felt nothing.  

Perhaps the parable is suggesting that our comfortable lifestyle has distracted us from the call of the Holy Spirit within us. Maybe we have failed to listen for so long that we feel nothing. However, the Spirit is still calling us to activate that potential for being Christ to others, that is beneath the surface of our life in our hearts and minds.” Adapted from Kierkegood.  

For most people their birthday offers the opportunity to have a think about their life over the past year and maybe set out a few achievement objectives for the coming year. Pentecost, the Church’s birthday, could be a like time to have a look at how our life is going spiritually, that is, how the Spirit is active in our life. If we see a “sack of potatoes” or a “wild goose in a barnyard”, then what will we do about it?  

I hope your week has been a great one and that you all are keeping safe and well. 

Daine Burnett 
Principal 
daine.burnett@cewa.edu.au 

Term Dates

Please make sure you have made note of the dates during this term. There is a public holiday on Monday 5th June and a staff Professional Development Day on Tuesday 6th June. We conclude Term 2 on Friday 30th June.  

Unwell Students

Can we please ask that unwell students are not sent to school. This in turn has an impact on the other students as well as the staff. Your consideration around this matter is appreciated. 

Reports for 2023 - UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILD’S REPORT

Parents will receive 2 formal academic reports this year: 

JULY – MID YEAR REPORT 

This report provides parents with a ‘snapshot in time’ of how their child is progressing in relation to the end of year achievement standard for each learning area for their year level. The grade provided is taking into account the curriculum which has been taught and assessed to that point in time. 

  DECEMBER – END OF YEAR REPORT 

This report provides parents with an overview of how their child has progressed, across the entire year, in relation to the end of year Achievement Standard for each learning area for their year level. The grade provided is taking into account the curriculum which has been taught and assessed across the entire year, not just Semester 2. 

 Understanding the Grading System 

Is a ‘C’ grade good? Yes, you should celebrate C grades as this indicates that your child has progressed to the desired level of understanding for his/her year level. 

Is a ‘C’ grade just a pass like it used to be? No, a C grade today, is the expected Achievement Standard for each year level and each Learning Area. 

Does an ‘A’ or ‘B’ grade mean my child is working a year or two above their current grade? No, an ‘A’ or ‘B’ grade means that your child is responding to the content taught to a deeper level. They may be thinking more critically about the content, which is a wonderful skill to demonstrate. 

How are final grades determined? Teachers collect numerous samples of work and assessments to determine the final grade. The grade is determined with the use of the School Curriculum and Standards Authority’s (SCSA) Judging Standards. For more information on this go to https://parent.scsa.wa.edu.au/ 

We hope this information assists you to understand the reporting process at St Kieran Catholic Primary School. If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask your child’s teacher. 

Umpires Required

We require 2 umpires for our Year 6 Soccer and Netball Carnival on the 23^rd of June from 9:30am - 2pm. If anyone is interested could you please send me an email. 

matthew.taylor@cewa.edu.au

Kind Regards

Matthew Taylor

Well Being Clubs

St Kieran students have been involved with various clubs during Recess and Lunch breaks. These have been a huge success.

Kieran Connect Corner

Bookclub

Hi Everyone,
Issue 4 of bookclub has now been delivered to the classroom.  The cut off date for issue 4 is 16/6/2023.  Issue 3 deliveries will be here in the next couple of weeks.

Thank you
Wendy