Newsletter 3 – 11-25 March 2026

Dear Families and Caregivers,

As we continue our Lenten journey, we are invited to pause, reflect and open our hearts more fully to God. Lent calls us to look honestly at ourselves, to grow in compassion and to make choices that bring us closer to Jesus’ example of love.

Our school wide SEARCH values guide us in how we live and learn together, and the C in SEARCH represents Courage. Courage fits beautifully with both the spirit of Lent and our UR Strong theme for the month of March, reminding us that courage is not only about being brave in big moments, but about choosing kindness, truth and compassion in the everyday.

Here are some simple, practical ideas that families can explore together during Lent, with a focus on courage that is gentle, faith filled and meaningful:

• Courage to pause: Build a short moment of stillness into your day as a family. A quiet prayer or a moment of silence teaches children that courage sometimes means slowing down and listening to God.
• Courage to try something new: Choose a small Lenten challenge together such as trying a new healthy habit, learning a new prayer, or helping with a task they usually avoid.
• Courage to speak kindly: Encourage children to use brave, respectful words when solving friendship problems, using UR Strong language such as “I felt…”
• Courage to show compassion: Invite children to notice someone who may need a friend, a helping hand or a smile this week and encourage them to take that small, brave step.
• Courage to say sorry and forgive: Lent reminds us that reconciliation takes courage. Families might make time to talk about forgiveness and ways we can begin again.

Year 3 to 6 Swimming Carnival

Our Year 3 to 6 students participated with enthusiasm and wonderful school spirit at our recent Swimming Carnival. The energy, encouragement and sportsmanship shown by our students made the day a memorable one.

A very big thank you to Mr Cooper for liaising with Chris from Aquafanatics at Aquinas, ensuring a smooth, successful and fun day for all. Please see Mr Cooper’s detailed message later in the newsletter where he shares further information and expresses thanks to everyone involved.

ASCS Interschool Swimming Carnival

We are excited to have some of our students participating in the ASCS Interschool Carnival this Friday at the Fremantle Leisure Centre. We know our swimmers will represent our school with pride, give their best efforts and encourage one another throughout the day.

NAPLAN 2026

This week our students have been taking part in the annual NAPLAN assessments. NAPLAN offers our staff a helpful snapshot that provides additional insight into how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy. While this information is valuable, it is only one small part of the broader picture of each child’s learning. At St Pius X, we know our students deeply through their daily classroom learning, ongoing assessments, conversations, observations and the strong relationships formed within our school community. NAPLAN simply adds to this understanding.

We are proud of the calm, positive way our students approached the assessments and look forward to continuing the rich, meaningful learning that happens every day.

Thank You to our P&F

A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful P&F and all their helpers for organising a fantastic school disco. Judging by the happy faces and joyful dancing, our students had an amazing time.

We are also grateful for the P&F members who ran a sausage sizzle at the Manning Laneway Festival over the weekend. Your generosity and commitment enrich our community in so many ways and we are appreciative of all you do.

Canberra Camp

If you are looking for a quick lunch on Sunday 15th, please consider popping down to Bunnings in Cannington to support our Yr 5 Canberra camp fundraising efforts. Further information can be found below, thanks to all involved.

Parish Family Mass 22nd March – Invitation to Student Choir

At our upcoming Parish Family Mass, our students will be leading the singing as well as participating in the reading and offertory procession. I warmly invite any interested students to join Mrs Gregory and myself in the choir. Singing together is a beautiful expression of faith and community and as St Augustine reminds us, when we sing with all our hearts, it is like saying two prayers.

Choir rehearsals will take place in the Music room from 8.20 am to 8.45 am on the following days:

• Friday 13th March
• Monday 16th March
• Tuesday 17th March
• Thursday 19th March
• Friday 20th March

Everyone is welcome to join us. We appreciate that students may not be able to attend every session, but we would love to have as many students come along as possible. We look forward to raising our voices together as we prepare to join with the Parish to celebrate Mass.

With God’s blessings to you and your families.

Jacki Tucker
Principal

A friendly reminder to our families that our Containers for Change bin is located in the undercover area. All funds raised go directly back to our school, supporting opportunities for our students.

You can drop in eligible containers such as:

• plastic drink bottles
• aluminium cans
• juice and flavoured milk cartons (under one litre)
• glass drink bottles with the 10c mark

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping our school and caring for our environment. Every container makes a difference.

School Fee Reminder Payment Reminder

A reminder to families that the first instalment of school fees is now overdue. We kindly ask that payment be arranged as soon as possible to avoid further follow-up.

For families who have opted to pay by fortnightly instalments, the next scheduled payment is now due and payable. For those who have already submitted a Credit Card Authority form to the office and selected fortnightly payments, the next instalment will be processed as scheduled.

If you have any queries regarding your account or require assistance, please contact the school office.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Mrs Cath Clohessy
Finance Officer

2026 Years 3–6 St Pius X Swimming Carnival

On Friday 6^th March, we held our annual St Pius X Swimming Carnival, and what a fantastic day it turned out to be. This year we moved to a new venue at Aquinas College, and the change proved to be a wonderful success. The facilities were excellent and provided everything we needed for a smooth and enjoyable event.

A huge thank you goes to Chris Twomey from Aquinas, whose hard work and organisation ensured the carnival was not only successful but also incredibly fun and engaging for all students. Despite a slightly delayed start, the excitement never dipped, and once underway our swimmers impressed us with their determination, sportsmanship, and talent.

We were thrilled to see such a strong turnout from families and friends. Your support creates an atmosphere that lifts our students and makes days like this truly special. Thank you for being there and cheering on our St Pius X community.

Events like this rely on many helping hands, and we are grateful to our wonderful staff and volunteers. Thank you to Rachel Turner, Michael and Shannon Cain for scoring; Jo‑Ann Jenaway for serving as Chief Judge; Tania O’Neill for taking on the role of Place Judge; and Brooke Lumsden, Jose Wilson, Natala Taylor, Kristie Ranger, Kim Passmore, Cassie Perrott, Jessie Choate, and Claire Webster for their work as Place Marshal. A special thank you also to Guy Webster for assisting with set‑up, pack‑up, and pool supervision. Thank you to Mr Stone, Miss Breeze, Miss Cohen, Miss Dempsey, and Mrs Tucker for their help on the day.

Finally, congratulations to Josephite , who not only won the Spirit Award but also took out the overall championship for the 2026 Swimming Carnival. An outstanding effort.

We are incredibly proud of all our students for their enthusiasm, teamwork, and positive attitude throughout the day. We look forward to another great carnival next year.

Caleb Cooper
Physical Education Teacher

Calling for Volunteers
Our canteen relies on the generous support of parent volunteers. Even a small amount of your time makes a big difference and is greatly appreciated. Volunteering is also a wonderful way to connect with our school community.

If you are available to help, please see our Canteen Supervisor, Lindi, for more information.

We thank our families for supporting the school canteen and helping us provide this service for our students.

Book Order No.2 Closes Friday, 13 March 

Scholastic Rewards:  Did you know that every purchase you make on Book Club earns our school 15% of the order value in Scholastic Rewards?  We use these to purchase more books and educational resources for the school. It all helps!

Our current Year 5 cohort will be hosting a Bunnings Sausage Sizzle this weekend to raise funds for their 2027 Canberra Camp.

P&F Update

It has been a busy and exciting start to the year for the P&F. We kicked things off with our Family Picnic at the South Perth Foreshore, which was a wonderful opportunity for families to connect and enjoy time together in a relaxed setting.

The picnic was very well attended, particularly by our younger year levels, and it was great to see many new families joining in. The children had plenty of entertainment with face painting, a glitter bar, and a range of ball sports on offer, including volleyball net. All of the sports equipment purchased for the event has since been donated to the school by the P&F for ongoing student use and enjoyment. The relaxed and inclusive atmosphere, along with strong teacher and family participation, made it a very successful community event.

We then held our school disco – and we think the photos say more than words! It was fantastic to see so many students having fun on the dance floor.

Most recently, we were lucky enough to secure the sausage sizzle at the Manning Laneway Festival. With over 3,000 people in attendance, it was a great opportunity to fundraise for our front playground project while being part of a wonderful local community event. Many of you would have also seen the beautiful hampers we raffled, generously donated by Lisa Mann and Brad Katnich at Belle Property Group South Perth. Belle have kindly come on board as a P&F sponsor this year, and we are thrilled to have their support. Lisa and Brad are also offering St Pius families 20% off their commission.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to support these events and especially to the volunteers who generously gave their time. None of this would be possible without our fantastic community.

Parish Family Mass – Sunday 22 March at 9am
We warmly invite all families and caregivers to join our Parish community for Mass on Sunday, 22^nd March at 9am. 

Edu-Sing
To register click here – Edu-Sing Registration

Volley Ball
Registration Link – https://www.redsvolleyball.com.au/stpiusx/

Tennis
Hot Shots Tennis Coaching is available at School on Thursday afternoons 3.15 p.m. to 4 p.m. for years 3 to 6 in term one.

Players can enrol through the Marshalls Tennis Academy website at marshallstennis.com.au or follow this link St Pius X after school tennis enrolment  to go straight to the enrolment page.

Keyed Up Music
Registration link – Enrolments • Piano Lessons and Guitar Lessons Perth – Keyed Up Music – Piano Lessons and Guitar Lessons Perth

Corpus Christi College – Beyond the Screen – Free Parent Workshop
Corpus Christi College invites parents, carers, and community members to a free workshop, Beyond the Screen with Daniel Principe. Discover practical ways to support young people in a digital world, with insights into online influences, consent, relationships, and fostering empathy and respect.

Reds Hockey Club – Registration is Now Open

Helen O’Grady Drama Academy
The programme we offer at the Academy is one of self-development. Our aim is to give children ongoing confidence, self-esteem and skill in verbal communication through the joy of Drama!