Filter Content
- Principal Message
- SSP Parent Volunteer Declaration
- 2025 Annual School Fee Statements and Payment Information
- Section 24 Arrangement
- Upcoming Tour Dates 2025
- SSP ELC Parent Workshop: Toilet Training
- Important Reminder: Update Contact Information
- Managing Back To School Anxiety
- Vision For Learning - Snapshots Of Our Early Childhood Philosophy
- Child Safe Framework
- Announcement - Locavora School Lunches (Lunchbox Hub)
- 2025 Welcome Back Picnic
- Executive Director Start of Year Message
- Parent TV
- Prendiville Present - Paul Litherland – ‘Surf Online Safe‘ on Wednesday 26 March
Exciting Changes for 2025!
The beginning of 2025 has brought some exciting changes to our school timetable. We have new specialist teachers and have introduced science classes from pre-primary to year six, taught by two specialist teachers. Additionally, health has been introduced as a special subject for years 2 to 6.
By introducing these special subjects across all year levels, we aim to develop a consistent approach to teaching. This will help students build their skills, knowledge, and understanding year after year in a cohesive manner.
To accommodate these changes, we have removed the extra PE period from the specialist timetable. This time will now be used by classroom teachers for activities such as outdoor exercise and daily games spread across the week.
We've also made slight adjustments to the timetable to ensure that learning areas are taught in complete blocks. Previously, subjects like Music and Indonesian were often split into 30-minute sessions before and after lunch, which was disruptive for students. With lunch now starting at 1:05 PM, all learning areas can be taught in uninterrupted blocks, making better use of learning time, especially in the mornings.
Additionally, we have introduced a daily Christian meditation period right after lunch, led by our school leaders. We hope this provides a central focus time for students to reset after lunch ready for a productive afternoon session.
We are thrilled to welcome new staff members to our school community:
- Laura Colavecchio has rejoined us as a Kindergarten Aide in Kindy Maroon and Kindy White after having previously worked in our ELC.
- Rosanna (Rosy) Paynter has joined us in 5 White for 2025.
- Daniel Walsh has moved into 6 Blue after completing his teaching degree whilst working for the past several years at SSP as an Education Assistant in the Catherine Centre.
- Bethany Would is replacing Natalie Templeton, who is on sick leave for the term and will be the new Science teacher for Years 2-6.
Note that Mr. Pettit has now taken on the role of Phys Ed and Health teacher for Years 2-6.
We also welcome:
- Mariantonia (Chris) Zaccaria will be on the reworked school administration team as the part-time Accounts Receivable officer.
The admin team has had two other significant changes.
- Helen Florschutz as the Enrolment Officer for schools and care services.
- Eileen Crowley now working offsite in her new role as the Social Media Officer.
All other administration staff will continue in their designated positions from 2024.
Holiday Break Upgrades
During the holiday break, we made several upgrades to the school:
- The entire network backbone was replaced to accommodate new CEWA network protocols, providing improved internet filtering and redundancy.
- A new fence was installed in the Pre-Primary area.
- Soft fall was installed under the junior equipment in the Year 1/2 play area.
- Brick-paved games were added in the Quad.
- New aluminium lunch benches were placed throughout the Quad thanks to the financial support of the FSSP Wish List funds from 2024.
- New water fountains were installed for the Senior block.
Thank you to Mr. Prout and Mr. Capriotti for their amazing work ethic and skills in making these improvements happen so quickly!
We look forward to what the remainder of 2025 holds for our school.
Peter Cutrona
Principal
At St Simon Peter Catholic Primary School, the safety and well-being of our students are our top priority. As part of this commitment, all volunteers who will work with students are required to complete a Volunteer Declaration Form.
Please note that this form is mandatory for anyone wishing to volunteer at our school - Volunteer Declaration
To learn how we manage your data and privacy, please click the following link:
CEWA Privacy Policy
Important Notes:
- Access to the parent volunteer exemption varies depending on the category of child-related work.
- The parent volunteer exemption is not available in all circumstances, such as for an overnight camp (Category 15).
- Individuals who have been issued a Negative Notice or Interim Negative Notice under the Working with Children (Screening) Act 2004 are not entitled to access the parent or child volunteer exemptions.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in keeping our school community safe. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us. Thank you for your ongoing support!
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This week, we will be emailing the 2025 Annual School Fee Statements to all families. Along with this statement, you will find the Payment Option Advice Form, which must be completed and returned by Friday 21st February 2025. This is a requirement by our governing body, CEWA Limited, to ensure that your chosen payment option and method are accurately recorded for timely fee payments.
Please return the form either to the Administration Office or email it to ssp.fees@cewa.edu.au.
School Fee Payment Information
All 2025 school fees must be paid by the end of Term 3 Friday 27th September 2025, unless you have an approved instalment payment plan in place.
Below are the available instalment options:
- One Instalment – Full payment by 11/04/2025
- Two Instalments – 11/04/2025 and 26/09/2025
- Three Instalments – 11/04/2025, 04/07/2025, and 26/09/2025
- Four Instalments – 11/04/2025, 04/07/2025, 26/09/2025, and 05/12/2025
- Ten Instalments – Monthly from 07/03/2025 to 07/12/2025
- Twenty Instalments – Fortnightly from 07/03/2025 to 28/11/2025
- Forty Instalments – Weekly from 07/03/2025 to 05/12/2025
Payment Methods
We encourage families to use online BPay as the preferred payment method, although direct debit and credit card options are also available.
Full payment details will be included on your annual fee statement.
Fee Discounts & Financial Assistance
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Concession Card Discounts – Centrelink concession card holders must present their original card to Administration staff for verification, along with a completed Concession Card Rebate Form which can be dowloaded from our website www.ssp.wa.edu.au
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Sibling Discount Program – In partnership with Prendiville Catholic College, families may be eligible for sibling discounts. Terms, conditions, and the application form are available on our website: PCC And SSP Sibling Discount Program
Discounts will be applied once confirmation has been received from PCC.
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Financial Hardship – If you are experiencing financial hardship and require assistance, please complete the School Fee Assistance Form on our website. All requests are handled with the utmost confidentiality.
Thank you for your attention to these important matters. Should you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
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Under the WA School Education Act 1999, students who have regular appointments during school term time are required to seek the written permission of the school principal. If your child will be absent from school on a regular basis due to medical appointments, we request that you use the following form which must be submitted for approval prior to attending these appointments and which then will need to be approved by the principal.
Please note that the form is only valid for the year that it has been applied for and approved and a new application must be made each year.
Section 24 Form
2025 Term 1 Tour Dates:
- Friday, 21st February at 9:30am
- Tuesday, 11th March at 9:30am
- Thursday, 3rd April at 9:30am
To secure your spot, please email our Registrar, Helen Florschutz, at Helen.Florschutz@cewa.edu.au.
In your email, kindly include the following details:
- Names of those attending, including your child’s name and current school year.
- Your preferred tour date from the options listed above.
We look forward to welcoming you and providing a personal insight into life at our school!
Date: 25th March
Time: 6pm
Location: ELC
SSP Early Learning Centre is hosting a Parent Workshop on Toilet Training, and we would love to invite all our SSP Kindy Families to join us! This workshop will provide helpful tips, strategies, and support for parents navigating this important milestone.
What to Expect:
- Practical advice from early childhood experts
- Tips on creating a positive toilet training experience
- Strategies for managing challenges and setbacks
- Opportunity to ask questions and share experiences with other parents
Come along and get the tools you need to help your little one feel confident and successful during this exciting time!
RSVP: sspelc@cewa.edu.au
We look forward to seeing you there!
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We kindly ask all families who have moved within the last 12 months to update their contact information with the school. This is especially important in case of any emergencies, so we can reach you promptly.
Please ensure that both your address, telephone number, and email address are current. If the change of address applies to both parents/guardians, kindly indicate that when submitting the update.
You can update your details by emailing the school office admin@ssp.wa.edu.au.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Hey SSP Parents! Welcome back ?
The shoes are cleaned, the uniforms are ironed, and the lunch boxes are ready to be filled, but we all know back-to-school preparation is about more than just the practical stuff. Some big changes are coming for many students like moving to the junior or senior school, NAPLAN, new teachers, new friends and new challenges.
Emotions run high this time of year. Maybe you’ve had a beautiful break, and now big behaviors are creeping in as nerves take hold. Or maybe your child is beyond excited to see their friends. Either way, these strategies will help make this term smoother for everyone.
1. Acknowledge It
Make some time and space to sit down and ask your child how they’re feeling about going back to school. If they struggle to express it, help them name it: “It feels strange going back after so long, doesn’t it?” Avoid dismissing worries with logic because anxiety doesn’t understand logic, it is our irrational best friend. Instead, just listen and validate their emotions: “That does sound scary” or “I can see why you’d feel that way.” Feeling heard helps kids feel safe enough to work through their fears.
2. Explain Anxiety
Anxiety is just another feeling, like happiness or frustration—it’s normal, and everyone experiences it. We need to continue to normalise anxiety. Anxiety’s job is to keep us safe, and sometimes it works a little too well. I often ask kids, “If a lion ran into your house, what would you do?” The answer is always fight, flight, or freeze because that’s how our brains are wired to protect us from danger. That is anxiety doing its job!
The tricky part is that anxiety doesn’t know the difference between a real threat of a lion and something that just feels scary like going back to school. That’s why their heart races, their muscles tense, or their tummy hurts. Their body is getting ready to fight or run, even when there’s no actual danger.
Reassure them: these feelings aren’t dangerous, they are temporary. The trick is teaching their brain to recognise when they’re safe. "Is this a dangerous situation that I need my anxiety for? Or is this scary safe and I need to calm my anxiety down?"
3. Shushing the Anxiety
Before kids can rationalise, they need to calm their bodies. Logical thinking shuts down when anxiety takes over, so simply telling them “it’s fine, relax or calm down” won’t help (it will probably make things worse, let's be honest!).
Breathing techniques work wonders and now is the time to remind the kids about my favourite type of breathing - cooling down their hot cup of Milo (smell the milo and blow to cool it down). If they’re full of nervous energy, let them release it with jumping jacks, monkey bars, kicking a ball, or running around. Once their body is calm, shift their mind away from “what if's” by grounding them in the present: “What are five things you can see, hear, smell, touch, or taste?”
Whilst these little strategies are awesome for shushing the anxiety, they are also great to incorporate into your daily routine.
4. Make a Plan
Only once they feel heard, understand their feelings, and are calm you can then make a plan. If they’re nervous about friends, practice asking someone to play. If they fear being apart from you, give them something small of yours to take to school (more on this to come!). Role-play tricky situations and focus on the things they’ll enjoy about being back. At this point you can share all the exciting things that will happen over the year for them to help focus. Speaking positively about teachers and education assistants plays a crucial role in easing school anxieties. Our kids rely on our guidance to form a safe and secure attachment with their teacher. If we express trust and confidence in those safe adults at school, it will set the tone for their perspective e.g. "If Mum and Dad loves and trusts my teacher, then I can too!"
If we support them through their worries and get them to be brave even when they are nervous, we’re helping them build resilience and lifelong coping skills.
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Creating a Safe and Nurturing Environment for All Children
At St Simon Peter, the safety and wellbeing of every child is our priority. We follow the CEWA Child Safe Framework, which ensures our school is a safe, supportive, and respectful place for all.
This framework is built on three key principles:
Safe Environments – We create open, visible, and secure spaces for children to learn and grow.
Shared Responsibility – Every staff member, parent, and volunteer plays a role in keeping children safe.
Respectful Relationships – We foster kindness, inclusion, and respect in all interactions.
By working together, we create a culture where children feel valued, protected, and empowered to thrive.
A warm welcome back to the 2025 school year!
We’ve been busy over the holidays and have some exciting news to share with all our partners. We’ve done some company restructuring and from 2025, Locavora School Lunches will now be called Lunchbox Hub. A central kitchen that connects with multiple schools throughout the state. With this change, comes a new web based app, that will streamline the ordering process, making it faster and hopefully easier for busy parents who are trying to navigate the chaotic morning rush each day.
We still have the same commitment to delivering fresh, quality food to the students and staff, to fuel their bodies and minds ready for an afternoon of learning, play and socialising.
We ask for your patience and understanding during this time of transition, as there may be glitches and some troubleshooting required. We will endeavour to resolve any issues as quickly as possible.
As always, our team is ready and happy to assist with any queries, questions and issues that may arise. Our new contact email address is schools@lunchboxhub.com.au and our phone number is 9481 4500.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your trust in us and making the decision to partner with us. Our team is excited and keen for the school term to commence. We love what we do and hope our small contribution can bring some joy to a child’s day.
To our schools we wish you a vibrant and thrilling year ahead and to our students we wish you a year full of engagement, learning, enchanting experiences and most of all fun.
Friends Of St Simon Peter Catholic Primary School is excited to invite all students and their families to our Welcome Back Picnic to kick off the new school year!
Date: Friday, 21st February 2025
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: School Oval
Bring your picnic dinner and drinks, and enjoy a relaxed evening with the school community. Don't forget to bring your picnic rug to sit on, and if you don’t have time to pack dinner, you can grab a delicious sausage sizzle on the night. Of course, there's always room for something sweet – visit the Ice Cream Truck for a treat to end the night on a high note!
We’ll have live music to set the mood and free face painting for the kids. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet other families and catch up with old friends as we come together to celebrate the start of the year.
For more details and updates, keep an eye on the Friends of St Simon Peter Parent Facebook page.
We can’t wait to see you there! ?
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Below are the instructions about how to sign up:
It is very important that you go to the www.parenttv.com/membership page to sign up with the code: stsimon
Prendiville Catholic College would like to welcome your school community to see our guest speaker Paul Litherland – ‘Surf Online Safe‘ on Wednesday 26 March 6:00-7:30pm.
For close to 20 years, Paul has been working at the coalface of online crime. Since 2008, he has worked specifically with juvenile victims and their families and has used those experiences to develop highly informative presentations regarding the risks of the online world. Since leaving the Western Australia Police in 2014, Paul has grown to become one of the nations most recognised and highly awarded educators in the fields of Cyber Safety and Internet Awareness, culminating in him being named the 2022 WA Australian of the Year.
Feel free to share with your families and caregivers in your school newsletter. For further details or to book a seat, please click on the try.booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/CWPOE
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